AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS FRANCHISE!!!!
Chapter Nine: The Duel,
The following day, Jack was tense, awaiting his battle with Xenith. He had thought most of the night through of what weapons there would be to choose from, what his best choice could be. Xenith had to know exactly what each weapon did, so Jack knew he'd have to keep his eyes open in the arena, there was no telling what Xenith had the power to do after all the years he spent going to different realms and wandering the forest. When he arrived outside of the Easter Bunny's home, Xenith was already awaiting him, his weapon already chosen. Xenith had chosen a double-handed sword, sharp enough to cut through bone, as if it were butter. Jack was led to a table, upon which weapons of all shapes and sizes had been layed. He searched through the many choices and finally came to pick a single-handed sword, light in weight, but steady in Jack's bony hands. Xenith smiled.
"I thought you might choose that very weapon Jack. You see, the sword you hold in your hands at this very moment in time, is the same sword that you dueled me with many years ago."
Jack looked at the sword he held in his hands and images flooded to his skull of the duel in the past, this sword and that were indeed one-in-the-same.
Xenith and Jack walked back to the portal of the worlds and into the Jack-O-Lantern shaped doorway. This duel would take place where it all started, years before. In the Academy arena. Jack took in the sight in the stands. Strapped into the chairs, gagged, were the citizens of Halloween Town. Upon seeing Jack, most of their eyes flooded with relief, only to be thrown back into the oceans of fear that held them before upon the sight of Xenith as well. Jack and Xenith came to a halt in the center of the arena and faced each other. Each gave a long, flowing bow and took four steps back, bracing themselves for the oncoming battle. A scream was sounded and they began. Xenith lunged at Jack, but Jack side-stepped him and rebounded the attack, his blade just missing the tips of Xenith's pointed ears. Xenith growled and his eyes went flaming red, his talons growing slightly larger. He swiped at Jack and all of Halloween Town gasped as they heard Jack's jacket rip and tear. Jack was knocked to the ground, but turned over and blocked Xenith's oncoming attack with the flat of his blade. His rolled out from underneath Xenith and stood back up. Xenith hissed and bellowed,
"Zhicore!" and a flash of burning red light came spinning at Jack, hitting him the middle of his chest. Jack was thrown back by the force of the jet of light and hit the arena wall, making it shudder. Xenith smiled and watched as Jack attempted to stand, shaking from the effort.
"I will not lose this time Jack. You stand no chance." At Xenith's words, Jack began to think of the citizens of Halloween Town, of what would happen to Halloween Town and the other holidays if he did not win this duel, of what would become of Sally. Sally, Jack would not let her fall in Xenith's rise. He braced himself and began to push himself from the ground, trying to ignore the searing pain in his bones as they cracked under the effort, his skull swimming with pain.
"Stay down Jack, or I shall make you do so." Xenith warned, but Jack kept pushing himself and managed to stand up.
"Never... I am... the Pumpkin King." He managed to get out between breaths. He picked up his sword and came back to face Xenith.
"You are a fool Jack Skellington." Jack smiled, like that old Pumpkin that we knew and turned and asked softly of him.
"And what are you?" Xenith hissed and Jack took his final lunge, knowing that if he missed, all was lost. Jack fell to the ground of the arena and everything went completely dark.
