There was a passing of light in the dark of the morning. A whole night had passed within the fortress. And as sawn slowly approached now there was only one thing left. The Twilight Gauntlet. Hawthorne's Gauntlet. And the key was in the vest pocket of Franklin McCoy's black vest. The Twilight Key. Then…there what researchers foolishly call in jest, Twilight Blade. A curious name. Something no one ever researched or looked into. It doesn't matter now. It's too late to think about it. It was only another mere tool of Hawthorne's that was uneeded in the end.
The shadows crossed in the room. A young man's and an older man. There was a dropping of a coat on the floor that Jet wore. It was only now that Jet realized his foolhardy mistake of forgetting his ARM after dropping it in his fight with Ranchel. He was more concerned with reaching this man now.
It seemed like eons. It was only thirty seconds. Thoughts can pass slowly or quickly. It all depends on the wielder. Jet had time for thoughts. Frank did not.
"You will die by my Sylph Thrust!" Frank darted from his spot as Jet formed two fists and swallowed some spit. There was a cold foil hurtling towards the gray haired man, and though it was moving fast, Jet saw it as slow. It was a rush of adrenaline he had built up. There was a foil heading for him with swirling air about it. The foil was scraping against the air and breaking, thus expanding the range of the point of the foil. If Jet let it hit his entire left side of his torso wouldn't exist any longer.
That was when Jet moved backwards throwing his holster and rounds into the path of his enemy. Though they all were obliterated it stopped the attack and saved his life. Still, when the winds broke and the rounds met the foil a burst of a small explosion threw Jet to the floor when he landed off-balance. Still, a roll kept him alive.
"So…what…was that?" Jet groaned as he stood upward. "What's a 'Sylph Thrust'?"
"I think actions spoke louder than words." Frank mused. "Still, if you must, I have trained over the years with this foil. Mastery of a foil is far more impressive than an ARM. Saru would be pleased with me." Jet let out a low growl. He was still on something so stupid as that? A woman. A woman when there was one who may die nearby who gave her everything for him. "My blade will manipulate the winds around me. The air is my own. Even using oxygen…to cut fire." He waved his foil about as Jet stood. "Now the Flame Sabre!" The wave of the foil cut the air as it swung for Jet. A trail of fire behind it heated terribly in temperature.
Jet moved aside of the attack. It was impressive, but slow and easy to move around. Jet went for his holster. There was no holster. No weapon. So he threw every punch he could muster for the man who was too preoccupied with bringing his blade to a stop. Sling the foil brought only two means to stop it. Slowing to a stop, because a jerk won't do, or sending it immediately in another direction. Frank went with the latter. Two quick movements and Jet stepped back as the front of his shirt brought about two thin slashes across it. Jet moved forward immediately to attack.
A third unseen swipe that was taken catches up to Jet who grunts with a gasp as his punch falls from being aimed at Frank's shoulder to Frank's ankle. It was Frank's game for the moment. The kick, in which Frank took some air, sent Jet to the ground. Sending the younger man sliding across the metal floor on his back.
Jet was on his knees in a crouch much like a runner before the race. His head tilted to look at Frank. His blade thrown outward Frank charged forward. An obvious Sylph Thrust coming for Jet. Jet watched the older man's wrist. The attack hit the ground a split-second after the younger man jumped away with the power of his four appendages.
Jet landed in a crouch throwing his two arms together and bringing them to a fold with a grin. "Positive Gattling Fire!" The room ripped apart by the positive energy blasts brought splinters of metal to soar into the part of the room nearest to Jet and McCoy; leaving the woman out of the business. Frank had moved away from the multitudes of the attacks. It seemed like Jet's trick was pointless. Same with Adven's. These forms of the attacks failed in every attempt at it. Still, Jet used it. And the floors merely broke apart and became like a rocky terrain. Metal ground that was flat now uneven and weak.
"That was pointless!" Frank lashed outward with his foil to the front. Another attempt at the Thrust attack. Jet never bothered to move. Frank moved gracefully about the ravaged floor as Jet merely stood taller. "Now die!"
Jet moved an inch to the left and escaped being pierced by the simple foil attack. Frank stood there as he watched his foil. His attack had failed? He couldn't move past that.
"You can Ranchel are prone to the weakness my same attack brought. A change in the terrain." Jet spoke coldly. "When I did this for her she could not use the kinetic energy correctly because it had been disrupted. With you…it made it so your wrist was bent upward more than it should. When you throw your attack you always thrust with your wrist bent as downward in direction as you could make it. If you can't do that and keep your attack straight with your arm there is a disruption in your attack."
"Shut up!" A wave of fire-induced attack and moved aside, and he pulled forth his only defense. The Raven's Wing. A stupid blade rusted and tattered by the years. Still yet, the foil of his enemy was knocked aside mid-attack. That did not disable Frank. He quickly rebounded and formed a fist quickly. A fist that tore at the air and created a trail of fire much like his Flame Sabre. The Ember Fist attack.
Jet was sent to the floor bouncing like a rock on water on two skips. The left cheek of Jet left with a small first-degree burn.
Nevertheless Jet stood back up, and his face was directed at Sandra, to whom he noticed a look to the farther side of the room. Frank was standing in front of the wooden box that housed the gauntlet that belonged to Hawthorne. The key in it's lock and the top lifted off. Jet felt terrified for once in his life. This is a gauntlet that has an unknown use. It could possibly bring about the end of the world in a moment. A device that Hawthorne may have made to wipe out all of the living out of vengeance many years ago. A 'plan B' for that dead man. Something he was never able to use. Sandra felt it too. As Jet looked to what he could do and found nothing Frank equipped the gauntlet to his arm. Fitting it on perfectly. Made of a cold bronze metal. Covering one entire forearm. Built for the right arm.
"Now…you will never…stop me…we shall see my brilliance." Frank warned without tone. He snapped his body to face Jet. There was nothing.
Jet's arm finally moved. His leg picked his body up and he stood. "I know what the gauntlet's true purpose is."
"Oh?"
"You cannot use it. You lack the trait to use it. You are the only one who does." Jet warned.
"I am, am I?"
"You are. I saw that earlier."
"So…what is the purpose of the gauntlet?"
"No one knows what it's for, right? Some think…he uses it out of anger. He made it to kill. It's far from it. What do you think he made the Elements with? No being, demon or otherwise can do that."
"Not even the guardians. I'm well aware."
"He made it to create. That gauntlet is much like the Elements themselves. Maybe if you saw them like I have you'd understand. All of them draw in power from around them, they draw in power from the emotion they belong to. The gauntlet works the same and it allows the wielder to create items like that."
Frank walked across the floor to his foil. "You say I cannot use this? It's still profitable to me if you believe it to be so."
There was a blink of a glimmering metal that soared for Jet. There was no movement. There was no time. Just crimson that flung to the air as Jet fell to the floor with a chunk of his shirt missing. Jet was happy he still had his arm, but his shoulder took a good one-fourth of the Sylph Thrust that Frank had sent for him.
Jet's eyes rolled. There were faint noises in his ears. Nothing he could make out. There was not any noises though. Just Frank returning to a defenseless pose of near satisfaction. He knew biology. He was aware Jet was still alive. But…the mere attacking of the boy was not enough to make up for anything. Jet seemed to remember someone. He was not sure who they were. He didn't care. He just knew they were on his side. There was a lot of them. Just some heartbeat in the dark where he could not see. Like he was Ranchel suddenly and saw what could not be seen. His left hand jerked and the muscles closed around the Raven's Wing hilt.
He moved his head aside as his eyelids parted and he stood upward ignoring the pain to his right arm at the moment. He used the ancient sword to stand on his feet. The sword leaving a large indent on the floor. Jet grabbed the blade's hilt as it stood at his head.
Frank stared idly by at the weapon Jet had stuck in the ground, and then he looked at the gauntlet. Returning his glance to the large Zanbato like sword that stuck out of the ground before Jet. Something that had once been known to be used against demons that rode others and riders on horses. It could kill both of the enemies. A foil against that was giving Frank the advantage as long as his blade did not meet the heavy one Jet had.
Jet grasped the foot-long hilt of the original state of the Raven's Wing. With no effort Jet had it out of the ground, and the hilt in both hands. A single swing of a heavy sword—that was not heavy, but deceptive in size. It was still as heavy as it had been when a rusted blade, but now it was thicker, longer, sharper, and the hilt was extended. As well as the fact that by the time Jet had missed Frank who jumped away a swelling of force behind it formed and the room between the two men sweltered. A large wave that looked familiar to a gale of wind, though appearing destructive had not left more than mere scratches on the floor. Though, it would probably leave much damage to a man.
Frank never faltered. He extended his right hand and the Twilight Gauntlet negated the attack. Making all of the force disappear as if nothing had come from Jet's blade. Jet's eyes went open, not out of surprise, but out of realization.
"These…two are kindred spirits. Raven's Wing and Hawthorne's Gauntlet are the same item who act separately." Frank looked on unamused. Still, Jet went on. "The gauntlet creates…and the Raven's Wing destroys? No…Hawthorne cared about the human race more than anyone would think after seeing his story. It was his will to protect the humans that he created the Elements to care for them. Each of these…items are fueled by the emotion one feels when you have the will to protect someone."
"You are a smart boy." Frank complimented. "You are the son of Saru and Elliot, after all."
"You were able to find out…that the Hawthorne's Gauntlet…was made to create the Twilight Elements. And that…your crappy sword was also worn by Hawthorne who used his will to protect those he cared for with it."
"You've discovered…what I've devoted my life to…in one minute." The gauntlet was tossed aside with a loud echoing clang. Frank sat on the ground on his knees. "I've been…defeated…by Enduro once more."
Jet dropped the Raven's Wing. It was over? Jet did not expect such…a conclusion to this. He thought it was just heating up now that they each had two items that could never defeat the other. He was so on edge and adrenaline that he desperately wanted to fight now! He felt a bit cheated.
"I…don't deserve to live." Frank continued with a tone that was distant. As if his actions had caught up with his mind. He could only keep his head tilted to the floor and his arms out as if he could not use them. Like he was waiting to have his head cut off. "I…really…am…a horrible…man…a…disgrace. My life…was wasted on trying to upstage a dead man and impress a woman…who never loved me. Sandra was right…I never loved her. I'm lucky I can even have a chance to dream to love her even at a chance near unrequited love." His head hung in shame. "Saru…did not go with Elliot because of what he studied or because of how smart he is…but because he's a person…and I'm only a shell."
Frank stood up and Jet stood ready to lash back. Still, Frank went in another direction. Towards the woman with the pale hair. "What…are you doing?" Jet wondered. Was this over? No one said it was. In all his fights usually he knew when it was over, and he didn't feel like it was. Frank was a man who ignored him however. A wearily stagger towards Sandra instead of Jet though. He tripped and fell onto the floor as he came to the woman.
It was like the life had been sucked right out of him. Was this a broken man suddenly? Still, he made it to a point where his head fell into her lap, and her tired face in a dizzy bob looked to him. "I…don't deserve you…because…I know…that you…will forgive me…though I hate that you will. I hate that you will forgive me…for tearing your dream from you and…hurting you gravely."
"I…can…only do one thing…to at least…deserve…that forgiveness. I…will save you…and mend the wounds…I made."
Jet saw little interest with what was happening with those two now. He found that she was safer wit h him now…for some odd reason. An hour ago he would have thought anything except that. Jet came upon the gauntlet instead. Picking it up lightly. It was just a defensive shield that would protect the ones you cared for. It was an emotion in a physical state. Like his Positive Cannon, but not temporary. And the Raven's Wing had the same capability. Jet looked and saw the sunlight as it broke. From a tower you could see the world. The sea of sand for miles.
"Is…it possible…that it can break…that it broke…the darkness in Frank's heart?" Jet wondered as his attention went back to the couple across the room. Frank had picked the woman from the floor gently and was now holding her as she was barely awake still. She was in need of rest as well as some immediate attention to her wound. The man looked to Jet.
"I will deal with the key and the gauntlet." Jet informed the older man. "No one will see them ever again. They are not needed on Filgaia to make something real."
"It seems like…that there's nothing more important in this world to find…someone or someones…whether they be friend or love…to make a person's life worthwhile, and once you get that there's only the need to protect them." Jet discussed. He didn't say he agreed with that statement, or that he lived up to that. He just said it because it related to Frank. "I don't have anything except this planet to look to. That is why I fight. Because the only thing I care for is this planet and myself. I may hate everything about me, my past, or anything…but I at least lived on Filgaia…and that's the only thing I have to give."
"A rival forces us to become better than we are today, and…a rival is a true friend. Someone who is not afraid to question your actions, but also someone who will also side with you if you need the. Just because…my…father and you were rivals of sorts, you could also be considered…the greatest allies. You both worked with Hawthorne's creations. Studying them."
Frank glanced his way. "I will not lose sight of my work. And…I will never lose my mind to demons of my past and heart…now…that I think…I know I need to protect something."
Jet nodded as Frank left. Frank had a job to do. It was a horrible moment for Jet when Frank touched the button on the side of the elevator and it opened with the car at the top now. Had he climbed for no reason? Turns out that Virginia had found a way to get the power on without the negative side to it. She went about with Emilia and destroyed everything that would make up the defense system of the tower. Sour had just turned back on the power few moments ago.
"You…coming Jet?" Frank wondered.
"Just…leave me be…"