Hoorah, chapter 12! This chapter we will take a look at Disney World and at the battle unfolding at Mickey's Palace. Enjoy!

Chapter 12

The Duel

Dusk approached. The radiant sun sank between two distant mountains, a great shadow falling on Mickey's Palace. The King himself stood on his balcony, fingers clutching tightly to the marble railing as he gazed down on the great fields of Disney World below him.

Mickey's army stood defiantly, all three hundred thousand, their armour glinting in the fading sunlight and darkening in the sweeping shadow. They were lined before the Palace itself, a defensive shield, awaiting the coming of the Mulldack's troops.

It would not be long now, Mickey knew, before they stormed forth and the two armies clashed in a spectacular battle. A small Elf approached him, holding forth his staff, its blade sharpened to perfection. Mickey took it and held it aloft. He spoke into his half of the Crystal Element which magnified his words and translated them for the hundreds of races of creatures before him.

"My friends! The Mulldack's army waits for the signal to attack, he will take this palace and destroy it, but only if we allow it! I will not let our enemies come forth and crush the peace we have worked so hard to build, instead I say we fight, fight for our children and their children and the generations that lie ahead, fight for the peace that we ourselves have enjoyed for countless years!"

A great cheer rose from the ranks, roaring upwards to meet Mickey where he stood.

"I ask, no, I beg that you fight to the last drop of blood has been spilled. If we are to win then we must believe that it is possible. Do you believe this?" A second roar greeted him.

"Then I ask nothing more. Prepare yourselves, my friends, for our destiny awaits." With this Mickey retreated from his place on the balcony and pulled on his robes, long black robes, black as the night sky. He pulled the hood over his head and spun his staff between calm fingers. It was time.

The Mulldack had intercepted the message. He was, in fact, overjoyed. Not once did the thought of trickery cross his clever, yet eager mind. He marched forth the hundred thousand soldiers from their camp near the remains of Abhorsen's House and sent through a further three hundred thousand from his own Citadel. He expected nothing less than a perfect victory. No longer did he care to have the Crystal Element in one piece. He would do whatever it took now to stop Mickey, Z and all the other rebels who stood in his way. He could move freely now, he had power he had not felt in years. He would annihilate them.

Z waited for the news. He did not have to wait long. Four hundred thousand troops moving at full pace towards the fortress of Disney Creek.

"Samos, are the troops moving through into Dark Land?"

"Yes my boy. By my estimate around half our force have moved through the porthole. We should have fully evacuated by the time the Mulldack's troops arrive, just as planned."

Daz frowned. "You sure about this? I've been in the Dark Land, its one big desert and the Mulldack's Palace is huge. This is a horribly risky operation."

"It's the only plan we have."

Silence reigned. They all knew it was true. If they failed they would have almost no option but to surrender. Jak entered the room, nodded at Z and proceeded towards Samos.

"The troops are almost on the lip of the creek. It won't be long now." Samos motioned to Z and Daz.

"You'd better get down to the courtyard. Its almost time."

Mickey watched in anticipation. The great maze was being burnt. The Mulldack's army had evidently arrived on the opposite side of his maze and had proceeded to quickly and elaborately burn it to the ground. Flames burst into the sky, crackling with intensity and massive spiralling pillars of smoke rose to the night sky.

The was a cry, a great howling war cry and the enemy burst from the flames, thousands of them in one massive, uninhibited torrent of flesh and steel. Even Mickey, who had seen many armies in the past, could not help but be awed by the sight before him, hundreds of thousands of Dark Warriors pouring down the hillside to meet his own soldiers. The mass of black, writhing figures inspired him with a will to fight.

Something sounded behind him. Footsteps perhaps? Mickey tore himself from the scene before him and turned his head to meet the intruder.

It was a dark figure, embroiled in a heavy black robe, eerily similar to his own.

"Who the hell are you?" Mickey brandished his staff, a chill running through his spine.

The figure took a step forwards, raising his hands to brush back his hood. A set of gleaming red eyes stared back at Mickey.

"Why, you know me Mickey! Don't you remember?"

Mickey's eyes narrowed. Dark Mickey. His opposite from the Dark Lands.

"Yes I know you. How did you get in here?"

"Through a porthole of course."

"But…that's impossible. All portholes inside the Palace walls have been sealed!"

"Evidently not this one. The Master crafted it for me. We will destroy you and your army together and reduce this detestable world to embers!"

Dark Mickey unclipped his robes, sweeping them to the floor, and revealed a hidden sword, its razor-like blade constructed from pure dark crystal. His horns glimmered in the pale light of the room as he took up his sword and held it before him.

Mickey complied, discarding his own robes and twirling his staff skilfully.

"So, it is a duel you wish for, is it? Then you shall have you're duel."

The battlefield was littered with corpses. Thousands of soldiers lay sprawled in agony on the grass, now trampled to thick mud by the feet of both sides. Steel clashed, arrows flew and lasers scorched the sky. Old and new weapons fought as one and the two armies battled in the moonlight, fighting to the last for every inch of ground.

The noise was horrendous, screaming, crashing and clanging, death rattles and the splash of blood on steel, moans of the tired and weary, roars of monsters and dragons and the crackle of fire, accompanied always by the silent drifting of thick black smoke that obscured the fighters.

There was a swooping whistle from overhead and hundreds of missiles shot from defensive cannons, soaring over Mickey's army and crashing into the hoards of Dark Warriors in a blitz of light and fire and pain that churned the mud and decimated all in its path.

The two fighters were a swirl of steel, their blades slamming into each other again and again as the two twirled away, away and back once more into the duel.

Mickey struck forwards, his staff catching the hilt of his opponents sword and threatening to send it spinning from his grasp. Dark Mickey gripped tightly and retorted with a spinning slash that met Mickey's staff and swept it away, slashing the marble walls and surging forward in a trail of sparks as Mickey evaded the blow, skipping backwards and hitting out once more.

The demon's eyes pulsed their deep, blood red as he reflected with a parry and kicked out viciously, knocking Mickey to the ground. He regained his stance just in time as a finishing stab from Dark Mickey's sword came hurtling down, swept away by Mickey's staff and brought, with a resounding clang, to the marble floor.

Mickey panted heavily, pointing his staff squarely at his rivals head. He had disarmed him. It was over, or so he thought. Dark Mickey stepped towards him, seemingly regardless of the blade which Mickey held inches from his neck.

"What are you doing? Its over. You have no weapon, make a move and I shall kill you."

"Oh really?" It all happened so suddenly that Mickey could barely register it. In a flash the demon had kicked the sword into his hand, from which a beam of pure black energy shot forth.

Mickey's own staff blazed back, a second beam of white energy surging from the Crystal Element. The two bolts of electricity met in the centre, colliding with each other and sending both wielders flailing to the floor.

Mickey was the first to recover, kicking himself to his feet. He made an instant lunge at his rival who parried easily and struck back a forceful blow that caught Mickey's arm, slashing a deep scar that dripped with blood. With a scream of anger he dived back into combat, twirling his staff in a series of slashes and stabs that were lightening fast, each was struck backwards with speed and skill, Dark Mickey dodging and weaving before him.

"You're getting old my friend, not as fast as you used to be!" The demonic visage taunted the King with a mocking laugh, striking with a blow that was knocked aside, and again with agility born of an experienced warrior.

It was true. Mickey was not as young as he once had been, his bones were battle weary and his arms tired and weak from constant attacks and defences, each new stroke jarring his wrist and sending him back a step.

Dark Mickey took full advantage, driving home a series of strikes in quick succession, hoping to overpower his adversary and finish him with a flourish. But Mickey refused to fall and met each of his strokes with pace.

"You leave me no choice Mickey. I am weary of this battle. Let us finish this!"

With these words a second bolt of pure energy shot from his sword, met again by a wave of power from the Crystal Element.

The two combatants stood, locked in a fierce battle, the torrents of energy rushing and receding as they forced their will forwards. Sweat rolled from Mickey's brow, his teeth clenched in pain and his hands shaking with the immense power of the gushing energy. Dark tussled with light, until, eventually, the two beams broke apart, both Mickey and Dark Mickey falling to the floor.

They stood and once again struck out, blades meeting with a clash and…there was a horrific screech and the sound of glass hitting the floor. Mickey looked up, his eyes swimming with concentration. They fixed on his opponents sword. Dark Mickey's blade had broken, the dark crystal shattered in two. The massive amount of power it had been drained of during its battle with the Crystal Element had weakened it and a single stroke had shattered the sword like glass.

Dark Mickey stood in awe. He was defeated, he had no means of fighting back. In an instant he turned and ran, a porthole appearing before him. Mickey gasped, chasing after, realising there was no way he would catch his rival in time. There was only one option left. summoning the last vestiges of his power, Mickey shot a bolt of energy from the Crystal Element, sealing the porthole before it could even open.

"Not this time. No more running away. It ends here."

Dark Mickey stood before him, silent and still.

"We will meet in the next life. There you shall not be so lucky."

Those were his last words. The Crystal Element struck out, white electricity engulfing his flesh. Dark Mickey screamed once, and evaporated into ash and smoke. He was no more.

Mickey leant heavily on his staff and made his way to the balcony again. The battle raged below, his troops holding their ground, despite pockets of Dark Warriors who had broken through to the Palace itself. Sections of it were now on fire, plumes of smoke rising to obscure the stars, or crumbled by explosives, rubble scattered throughout.

The lines of Dark Warriors were thinning, his defences taking their toll on enemy numbers. Mickey stepped down from the balcony, striding through his doors and onto the nearest staircase. He would go to the battlefield. There was a war to be won.

And so Chapter 12 comes to an end with Mickey defeating his nemesis, Dark Mickey, and taking control of the battle on the Mulldack's forces. Next week, Chapter 13 sees Z and the army of Disney Creek travel to the Mulldack's Palace for a surprise attack and execute their plan to cripple the Dark Warriors with Bio-Bombs. 13 may be the unlucky number, but will Chapter 13 prove unlucky for our heroes? R&R and return next week for the answers to these questions and more!

Z