Chapter 13: Vengeance

"Cross Guards, Colonel, Jack... Versus... Chess Pieces, Honored Knight, Candice..." A voice yelled, startling Jack as he snapped into consciousness.

Jack opened his eyes to find himself in a huge wasteland, with boulders and broken stalagtites lying everywhere. He tightened his grip on the Battle Scoop, and walked around. "Where are you, Candice?" He hissed, worried that she was luring him into a trap.

"Boulder Fang!" He heard her voice cry from his right. "Earth Wave!" He shouted, hoping that the clod of earth would counter the fangs of stone. Unfortunately, half of the stones from Boulder Fang still managed to burst from the Earth Wave and fly down towards him. "Boulder Crush!" Candice commanded, hoping to impale Jack, but Jack used Earth Beans, and the stones, which weren't moving that fast, were finally entangled by the mass of vines, even though those vines were now damaged and unable to be used for offensive purposes.

"Oh, is wittle Jack getting scared now?" Candice laughed.

"You're a sore loser, Candice, getting bitter over the fact that I fought you to a draw in a fair match! It's not my fault that you lack..." Jack was cut off when a large boulder came crashing down on him.

"Because of you, I was disqualified from protecting Phantom when he needed it most... Had I beaten you, I'd be given that training that I needed to help stand by Phantom's side... He died, and I was powerless to do anything, all because of you!"

Jack grunted as he threw the boulder off of him. "The person you loved died, and you were robbed of the right to protect him. I understand that, and I would have had some sympathy... But I can't feel sorry or sympathetic for you at all. Do you understand why? This makeshift family of yours is responsible for the deaths of countless people! So many of my friends and people who I would have called family died because of your friends and 'family.' My father was killed at Weasel's hands! And you ask me to be kind and forgiving. I can't forgive you, Candice, and though you loved Phantom and grieve for him, I cannot do the same. Don't go crying in front of me, saying how pained you are, because you are well aware of what Phantom did to countless families, and what you did as well! The crimes of the Chess Pieces cannot be forgotten, and all of you will have to pay for what you did. Candice, this time I will win, and when I do, well, I'll let you join Phantom... In Hell!" The warrior snarled as he raised the Battle Scoop.

Candice activated her Boulder Axe, and the two fought in hand to hand combat, but Jack soon found that Jake's old shovel could do little against a giant axe. Jack was forced to jump back, and proceeded to rail at Candice: "If you were truly a good person, then you would have realized that you were in the wrong, and you would have joined us, like Pano, Ash, Galian, and Julie. But instead, you still helped Phantom. If you truly loved him, you would have tried to stop him from doing such evil deeds, but you didn't. Now, he died because you did not stop him from commiting such sins. You don't really love Phantom, do you, Candice?"

"How Dare You!" Candice shrieked as she threw another Boulder Fang at him.

This time, three of the fangs succeeded in stabbing parts of Jack's body. Seeing that they actually hit this time, Candice ordered the fangs to perform Boulder Crush!

But, just like their last fight, Jack escaped with Bean Shield.

The moment Jack emerged, he was crushed again by Grand Boulder, and when Jack threw off the Boulder, he found that a series of clay pigeons were headed for him. Jack stood there for a second, confused as to what this new attack was, and when they exploded and burned him, he realized that he was truly an idiot in more ways than one.

Staggering out of the smoke from the explosion, Jack activated a new ability: "Grand Flower!" From the vines scattered everywhere, a large flower began to bloom. Pollen shot from it, making it hard for Candice to see Jack, and, at the same time, making her sneeze constantly. With this distraction, Jack activated Grand Flower's own ability, Soothing Nectar. By drinking this liquid, he was able to heal his wounds and keep himself alert.

"So the monkey learned a few new tricks... Nice, but don't think that I haven't improved either!" Candice snarled. "Nature Arm: Sand Storm!" She shouted. The Arm helped make the field covered in pollen and sand, and since the pollen had mostly drifted to the ground, Jack now found himself choking and unable to see.

Jack used Earth Wave, trying to clear a path through the sand and hit Candice in the process, but all of his attacks missed. Candice used Boulder Fang, but it seemed that sand storm was a double-edged sword in that she, too, missed with her attacks. Boulder Crush failed to hit Jack as well.

The storm continued to rage for several minutes, making both warriors weaker and weaker as they wasted magic power trying to take each other down.

The storm began to clear somewhat, and Candice took the opportunity to use one more Boulder Fang...

This time, one of the Fangs succeeded in stabbing through the cuff of Jack's shirt, sending him high into the air.

As Jack was about to land, Candice activated her strongest Arm: "Nature Arm: Titanic Spire!"

No matter what Soothing Nectar was able to do, Titanic Spire stabbed into his chest. Jack gasped at the blow, and as he slowly began to feel the grasp of death, thoughts flew in his mind. He thought of Ginta, and how he and Ginta defeated the Chess last year. He thought of how he proved his strength by fighting Weasel... He thought of the woman he loved, Pano, and the fact that she was once an ally of the woman who gave him this deadly blow...

Jack weakly turned to Candice, and, as blood began to flow from the side of his mouth, he panted: "Well... Killing me proves nothing, Candice... You only show... That you're a great warrior... But did you really avenge Phantom? No... Alviss is the one who killed him... You got rid of me, a man who wanted to avenge his father and save Mar Heaven... All you've proven is that you're stronger than me... In the long run... Does that... Does that really... Matter?... Goodbye, Candice... I'm sure... That you're still going to meet him down there..." Jack gasped as death finally took hold of him.

Candice stood there for a moment, and sighed: "He's right... Killing him didn't solve anything... I stained my hands for no good reason at all... I'm... So tired..."

"Winner, Chess Pieces, Candice!"

Candice deactivated Titanic Spire, and as Jack's body hit the ground, she felt herself being pulled away. As she began to disappear, Jack's body, too, began to glow and be teleported...

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Sorry, Jack fans... Dorothy's promise was not kept after all...