Chapter 3: Dark vs. Light Battle One.
Gaze rushed forward as the barrier broke from under the gravitation force of the Graviga Spell that Gernot had used. He skidded across the ground and reached the gate before the rest of the Dark Wielder army. He held out his Gear Grind Key and unlocked the giant gate and broke his way inside. He stood there before the Light Wielders and laughed loudly as many of the new wielders backed away from the dual wielder before them.
Jetchen jumped from the top of the wall and sliced down at the dual wielder. He barely managed to block the surprise attack. Jetchen sliced away at the Dark Keyblade Master as he backed away blocking each of her blows with each keyblade.
A giant armored Dark Wielder rushed forward holding a twisted vine like keyblade and started to take on a small squadron of young new wielders of the light. Jetchen looked away for just a minute to see that Glam jumped in front of the giant Dark Wielder to protect the younger wielders.
Gaze ducked low to the ground and rammed his shoulder into the Light Wielder's midsection. "You're fight is with me mage. Pay attention."
"I have more important things to do then die by your hands today." Jetchen held out her keyblade and pointed it into the air. "Thundagra!" Thunder bolts shot out in a straight line straight towards Gaze.
"Two can play that game," Gaze held each one of his key blades high into the air and shouted, "Thundagra!" Weaker thunder bolts fell and cancelled out Jetchen's thunder spell. "I'm not going to fall for those weak tricks again bit..."
Jetchen cut the dual wielder off by ramming the handle of Pixie Wing into the mask of the man before her. "Pay attention boy." She teased as she started to strike and slash at the dark wielder again.
'This bitch actually talking crap to me?' Gaze was taken aback as he continued to defend himself. 'Damn I'm off my game today! I should have already taken this mage out and moved onto help Hue with that tool I use as a punching bag.'
Hue sliced wildly at Glam as he led him away from the younger wielders. Hue was growing angry as Glam continued to lead him away from the battle and higher up into the courtyard. Glam would stop every few feet to begin to slash and strike at Hue who would block the attacks easily.
"Are you even trying?" Hue laughed. "You know we could increase your strength tenfold if you joined with us."
"The darkness is only a path of destruction!" Glam shot back as he stood in the center of the courtyard. "Join with us and I'll make sure you keep your master rank."
"If you join us I'll make sure not to make you my little bitch." Hue smiled big under his mask as he rested Jungle Buster across his shoulder. "Or you can sit there and die like a good little boy and I'll make sure to put that Key Charm of yours to good use."
Glam gripped Monochrome tightly and rushed forward bringing the think grey Keyblade down hard onto Jungle Buster that Hue raised to block the attack. Glam continued to slash, slice and bash away at Hue's defenses growing more and more angry as Hue just laughed at him.
"That's right get angry!" Hue taunted. "Give in to the darkness of your heart! Feed the darkness with your anger!" Hue kicked Glam hard in the stomach sending him skidding backwards. He lifted the keyblade out at Glam and seven PowerWild heartless, blue monkey looking heartless, appeared around him. "We can control the darkness in ways you'll never know if you don't join us! Just give in!"
"Never!" Glam shouted as he lifted his keyblade up and gathered his magic. "Firagra!" Glam yelled and rammed the tip of his keyblade into the ground. As the PowerWild surrounded him, fire balls erupted around him and began to circle him destroying each heartless letting loose the hearts trapped within them. "The light will always beat the dark."
Hue rushed forward as he summoned two more PowerWild. He had the PowerWild jump Glam first before he ducked low to the ground. As Glam slashed through each monkey heartless Hue slashed his keyblade into Glam's midsection. Glam's armor absorbed a majority of the impact and protected him from being sliced open, but the force was strong enough to send Glam down to the ground.
"Without dark there is no light." Hue said from above Glam. He pointed the keyblade at Glam's head and gathered his own magic. "You should have taken my offer Light Wielder." A fire ball appeared at the tip of Jungle Buster as Hue finished his sentence.
Gaze was backing away as the Light Wielder pushed him back and ran off in the opposite direction. He looked over to see Hue standing over the tall Light Wielder that he had fought a few times himself. The female mage in white armor sent a blizzard spell out to block Hue's fire spell at the last possible second. She then began to fight off Hue as Gaze began to laugh to himself and twirled each keyblade in his hands making his way towards his friend.
Jetchen helped Glam to his feet as Hue got to his own and shook away the debris from the wall he just crashed into. He looked around to see that many Dark Wielders were being struck down as the Light Wielders were pushing them back towards the gate. He saw Gaze approaching them slowly and striking and slashing a few Light Wielders down himself. He collected the Key Charms before the Wielders even hit the ground.
"You may win this fight Light Wielders but the war is far from over!" Hue shouted as he took his fighting stance once more.
"Enough." Gaze grasped Hue's shoulder and began laughing. "The Light Wielders have won this battle come on." He waved his hand and a dark portal appeared behind them. "Let the heartless handle the rest of them."
"We're not done here Dual Wielder!" Jetchen yelled running up to them taking her fighting pose. "This battle isn't finished until one of us dies!"
Gaze slid across the ground and appeared just inches from Jetchen's face with in a blink of an eye. ""I don't think you can defeat my skills."
Jetchen's eyes widened under her mask as she looked over at the Dark Wielder. "Maybe, but I know I can defeat you."
Gaze stopped lifting Gear Spike as he recognized the words. He looked over at the Light Wielder he had hated since their fight. "No..."
"Gaze?" Jetchen removed her mask and Gaze backed away.
"Jetchen?" Gaze removed his own mask and stared at the woman before him. "No... No... NOOO!" Gaze rushed forward and started slashing with both keyblades.
Jetchen blocked and deflected each strike as best she could as she watched on in horror. "Gaze... No... It can't be!" She pushed the man she hated yet cared for away. "You son of a bitch! You tricked me!"
"I tricked YOU?" Gaze yelled. "You're the one who tried to infiltrate us!" Gaze slammed his twin keyblades down hard onto Pixie Wing. "Forget about our date you bitch!"
"You won't survive to have a date with anyone ever again!" Jetchen shouted as she slashed at Gaze's exposed midsection.
Hue rushed in and blocked the strike as Glam slid in and blocked the overhead slash that Gaze was about to slice at the same time. Hue pushed Gaze back as he continued to scramble over him to get to Jetchen. Glam held Jetchen back as she tried to claw her way to get to Gaze.
"This battle is a lost!" Hue pushed Gaze through the dark portal. He looked over at Glam and Jetchen and stepped into the portal himself. "And you have explaining to do."
Glam let Jetchen fall to her knees and listened as she began to sob quietly. Masters Inot and Xehanort appeared before them and watched on. "As do you Master Jetchen." Xehanort said softly behind his mask. He placed his hands behind his back and turned to walk away followed by Master Inot.
Gernot threw Gaze hard against wall. Gaze slid to the floor his armor chipping away as his body twitched from the pain. Hue lifted up Gaze and tossed him back at the feet of Master Gernot. Gernot cracked his neck and knuckles before lifting Gaze high over his head and throwing him hard into the ground.
"You nearly overcame to the darkness in your heart Master Gaze." Gernot said quietly cracking his knuckles once more. "That would have severely hurt our chances at winning this war you understand this do you not?"
"Yes," Gaze spit blood onto the floor and stood, "Yes Grand Master Gernot. I understand."
Gernot grasped Gaze by the sides of his head and patted his cheeks softly. "You understand why I am doing this then?" Gaze nodded his head as he relaxed his body. "Good." Gernot picked Gaze up by his head and twirled him around again throwing him hard against the wall. Before Gaze could fall to the ground Gernot nodded his head and Hue rushed forward and rammed his mountains body full force into Gaze, sending the defenseless Keyblade Master through the wall and into the adjoining room.
Gaze rolled to his side coughing up more blood as Hue entered through the hole in the wall and picked him up by his collar and dragged him back to Gernot's feet. Gernot looked down at Gaze who stared back up at the Grand Master of the Dark Wielders. Gaze rolled onto his stomach and slowly made his way back to his unsteady feet. His armor completely chipped away other than the gauntlet he used to summon it. Gernot held his hand out and the dark blue Soul Devourer Keyblade appeared in his hand. Gernot rested the spikes against Gaze's neck and smiled at the man who never flinched away.
"You are to not see that Light Wielder again." Gernot pronounced. Gaze looked up at the man who raised and trained him. "Jetchen of the Light from now on is no longer your concern."
"Yes Grand Master." Gaze coughed.
"Hue," Gernot's keyblade vanished from his grip and he turned to head out of the room. "Take Gaze to infirmary."
"Yes Grand Master." Hue bowed to the giant man and caught Gaze as he nearly fell over. "You think you could have tapped out or something before I had to ram you through the wall?" Hue asked concern as he dragged his half alive friend away. "By the hearts, you're nearly dead."
"You didn't have to hit me so hard and put through the wall you asshole." Gaze said through ragged breaths. "If I had tapped he would have taken me off the battle field completely."
"True," Hue hefted his friend over his shoulder and began carrying him over his shoulder, "I'd rather have you by my side next time we fight the Lights, and you can handle that technical fighter I was fighting earlier."
"I whoop him every time I face him." Gaze laughed before coughing up more blood.
"Yeah well stop playing with them and take the damn charms. You collected a nice bunch on your way to me earlier." Hue commented looking at the charms that Gaze had on his chain coming from his black slacks. "You want me to hand them over to Gernot?"
"Please..." Gaze looked down at the tiles as he was carried by his friend. Images of Jetchen filled his brain. The light silk yellow dress blowing in the wind from the top of the Train Station. The soft feel of her lips against his own.
Jetchen stared at the wall before her as Glam and Newt tied her hands above her head. She felt the back of her armor being removed and the back of her shirt being cut away. She saw in the mirror that Quave stood behind Master Xehanort as Master Inot stepped forward and stood alone in the courtyard holding a long whip.
"Master Jetchen you are fined for concerting with a Dark Wielder of the Keyblades." Xehanort shouted loudly for the whole courtyard to hear him. "The normal sentence for this crime of treason is the removal of your keyblade powers and have you stricken from this world and sent out to survive on your own. Complete exile from all knowledge that we Keyblade Wielders hold dear." Xehanort lowered his head but never broke his eyes from the bare back of the mage. "But from eye reports and testimonies of Masters Glam and Inot, your punishment is twenty five lashes. Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?"
Jetchen held back tears as she shook her head no. Master Inot looked to Xehanort with soft and pleading eyes before he smiled and motioned with his hand for her to continue. Jetchen watched in horror as Master Inot took a step back and then lashed the whip out. She felt the cold tear of her skin then hot flash of pain as the whip lashed her skin from her back. She watched in horror through tear filled eyes as her Master and mother figure lashed her back twenty four more times.
When the punishment was done Newt and Glam untied her from her bounds and stepped away as she fell to the ground hard with a thud. Xehanort and Inot stepped up to Jetchen as she looked over her shoulder up at the two masters. Xehanort smiled down at her and lowered his head at her before walking away his arms behind his back. Quave stood beside Newt as Inot and Glam helped Jetchen to her feet and headed her towards the infirmary.
"You're lucky that's all you got." Glam spat. "What were you thinking conversing with a Dark Wielder?"
"I didn't know he was a Dark Wielder." Jetchen spoke through her tears. "He seemed like a normal person, like anyone else from Twilight Town."
"It's ok dear." Master Inot spoke softly and soothingly as Jetchen felt her body being laid down on her side. "It's over now and you'll never see that Wielder again. I'm sure he's being punished as well. Those Dark Wielders are not nearly as compassionate as we Light Wielders are."
"She's right." Newt chimed in. "In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Grand Master Gernot didn't kill him and take his keyblade charms for himself."
"He's right." Glam said pushing Newt and Quave from the room. "That dual wielder is no longer an issue for you or any of us."
Jetchen smiled at the attempted comfort. Master Inot began to treat her wounds as Glam went on and on about the massive Dark Wielder he had fought with during the battle. The whole time though Jetchen just thought of the sensitive and kind man she had met at the Struggle Battle. The sweet yet salty man that had kissed her atop the Train Station in Twilight Town. Her eyes began to tear up again as she realized what she was afraid of during her battle with Gaze earlier that day.
'You're in love with a Dark Wielder." Ran through Jetchen's mind as she fell into sleep.
Gaze stared up at the ceiling as the realization hit in. He was never to see Jetchen again. He was to never see the woman who had squirmed her way into his mind and feelings. He grew angrier and angrier as the realization sank deeper with in him. He looked around to see many of the Neo-Shadows he controlled begin to circle the ground around him.
"I'm not giving into the darkness fully yet!" Gaze said to himself. The Neo-Shadows rose from the ground and gripped the bed with their pitch black long fingers and a few swiped the air at Gaze. Gaze rose up from his bed and exhaled loudly. The Neo-Shadows backed away as Gear Grind and Gear Spike appeared in his hands. "Leave me." Gaze said softly. The pure blood heartless vanished back into the shadows as Gaze looked into the mirror.
'You're in love with a Light Wielder.' Was the last thing Gaze thought as he drifted off to sleep?
