Chapter 9: "Go Gadget! Save the World!"
SPLASH!
Taryn landed in a lake. He lay there, floating towards the bottom. How am I going to defeat him? He's too strong. Uncle Mike barely got him, and he's ten times as powerful as me. He drifted off into a flashback from a few years ago.
"Son. What I'm about to tell you is something I should have told you years ago." Ty sat next to his son at a small campfire. "It has to do with that incident at the range six years ago."
"Not this again." Taryn said annoyed. "I know that some people won't listen to reason and have to be taken out."
"It's not that." Ty said, concerned. "Do you remember what you told me?"
"I'd never kill again." Taryn said.
"No, not that." Ty looked at his son. "You told me that you felt no remorse for your actions. That you knew it was wrong, but you still did not feel any emotions for it."
"Yeah, I remember."
"There's a reason for that."
"What?"
Ty looked down. "You have an extremely high rage. It's a monster that lurks inside of you. If it were ever to escape, you could kill a lot of innocent people."
"Are you sure?"
"I've been sure of it since the day you were born."
"WHAT?" Taryn stood up. "You've known that long, and you didn't tell me."
"I was afraid you'd freak out." Ty stood with his son. "I was afraid you wouldn't want me to train you."
"That's selfish. How could you do that to me?"
"You have a monster inside of you." Ty grabbed his son by the shoulders. "I couldn't just let you go untrained. You could have done horrible things."
"What if I still can?" Taryn looked down, and began to cry.
"That's the reason why I'm telling you this now." Ty picked up his son's head. "Look at you. You have instilled in you the compassion for the weak and the honor of morality. You could never do anything like that."
"So why mention it?"
"Because, now it's time to teach you how to use this power." Ty said proudly. "You are ready to tame the beast."
"What if I'm not?"
"I believe you are." Ty said. "Just remember. Don't go to this power too often. You could lose control."
"OK, dad." Taryn wiped the tears from his eyes. "Teach me."
"Take this." Ty handed his son a locket. Taryn opened it. Inside, there was a picture of his mother, his father, and his sisters.
"What's this for?" Taryn asked, puzzled.
"It's to help you remember who you are." Ty said. "If you ever begin to lose it, look at this, and it will cut through to the real you."
Taryn rose from the water. He was clutching something in his hands. He looked at it. Thanks dad. He thought. For believing in me. He then made for the cave.
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The ceremony had gotten under way. Geegaw sat in the corner, tied up. He could only watch helplessly as Lightneton chained a limp Gadget to the tablet. "You can't do this! She's all I have left!"
"In a few short moments, you won't have anything. Your whole realm will tremble as the mighty Lightnetoid rises!" Lightneton continued with the incantations. "ASANT UUS, ASANT UUS, DERO DE MALO!" With that, a great light shown from the lava pit. Quickly afterward, a sphere of light rose above the ledge. "The Lock! It's beautiful." Lightneton turned to Gadget, and held his knife above his head. "And now, I use the power of the Key to unlock thee. Grant my wish! Revive Lightnetoid!" He swung down.
SHUNK!!
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"NOOOOO!" Lightneton screamed as he discovered that he had stabbed Taryn instead. "But how? I defeated you!"
Taryn threw Geegaw the locket. He then turned to Lightneton. "You defeated that weakling shell. I am now your opponent." His fur bristled as he pushed Lightneton away from the tablet.
"WHAT?" Lightneton demanded. "Who are you? What are you?"
"Me?" Taryn cackled. "I am the one who will remove you from this world." He grabbed Lightneton's hands, still clutching the knife, and pulled them away from his chest. He then threw the evil warrior away. Lightneton dropped the knife on his way to the floor.
At this point, Gadget regained consciousness. She could not believe what she was seeing. Taryn began to glow red. He approached the knife, bent down, and picked it up. "Taryn!" She screamed. He turned to face her, his eyes glowing red, and started to walk toward her. "What are you doing? It's me, Taryn. It's Gadget!"
He reached the tablet, and drew up the knife. "Yes!" Lightneton said. "Do the deed for me! Either way, I still win!"
"No Taryn, this isn't you!" Gadget pleaded. "You don't want to do this."
"Of course I don't." Taryn said. His pupils reappeared. "Little sister." He then used the knife to slash the chains, freeing Gadget. She got up and approached Taryn, only to get the knife placed in her hands. "Get out of here, both of you."
"What about you?" She cried.
Taryn turned toward a now fuming Lightneton. "I don't matter." He began to slowly approach Lightneton.
Gagdet used the knife to free her father. He was now drifting in and out of consciousness. He had lost a lot of blood. She picked him up. "Come on, dad, we've got to go."
"None of you will leave here alive!" Lightneton yelled.
"They are not your concern anymore." Taryn said. "You have me now."
Gadget slipped out with her father. Lightneton turned toward Taryn. "It doesn't matter. I will destroy you, and then find her again and get what I want."
"Now, we can't have that, can we?" Taryn turned to the tablet, and blasted it to a million pieces. The Lock flashed, and then went back into the depths of the earth.
"NOOOOOO! CURSES!" Lightneton yelled. "I WILL DESTROY YOU, AND THEN I WILL CRUSH THIS WORLD!"
"You have to get past me first!"
They charged each other, and hit with a flash.
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Gadget had gotten Geegaw halfway down the mountain when she heard the explosion from within the mountain. She looked back with concern. "Be careful, big brother."
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Taryn drew his staff, as Lightneton drew his ax. The earth shook. "It would appear this mountain isn't dormant anymore."
"It is fitting." Taryn said, simply.
"I will thoroughly enjoy this." Lightneton said as he charged. He swung his mighty ax, only to have Taryn's staff deflect it into the ground. Taryn then swung his fist up and caught Lightneton on the right temple. Lightneton rolled a little before finally coming to a rest. Taryn plucked the ax out of the ground, and cast it into the lava pit. "Curse you! You'll pay for that!" Lightneton charged Taryn, only to have Taryn dodge to the right, sending Lightneton charging over the ledge. He began to fly over the lava pit. Taryn gave pursuit. The pit began to bubble up. As the earth shook, pieces of rock fell from the ceiling, which splashed into the pit, sloshing lava high into the air.
"You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into." Taryn said. "I am the destroyer of destroyers."
"You will not destroy me!" Lightneton fired back.
"We shall see." They both floated there for a moment, staring each other down.
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Gadget reached the Screaming Eagle with her father. She set him down in front of the plane, and looked at his wounds.
"URGH!" Geegaw let out a cry.
"You're going to be OK." Gadget said, with tears in her eyes. "I'll get help!"
"It's too late for that." Geegaw grabbed his daughter's arm. "I won't be around for long."
"Don't say that!"
"Oh, Gadget." Geegaw put his hand on her cheek. "You've grown up into a beautiful mouse. You are strong, and don't forget that." He looked up at the mountain. In the background, the battle could be heard. "He isn't. He needs you. You need to go help him find himself again. Take this." He handed her the locket.
"Dad."
"Without you, he will destroy this world." Geegaw said. "Go, Gadget. Save the world."
Gadget looked at her dad one last time, and then turned around and ran back up the mountain.
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The battle raged inside the volcano. With every hit the combatants landed on one another, they received one harder. The lava began to churn as the collapsing room and the splitting earth shook the mountain to its foundations.
"You are a worthy opponent." Lightneton said. "But you won't make it out of this mountain." Lightneton began to charge up an energy shot. He placed his hands above his head. Sparks began to fly around his hands. "I believe you know this one."
"I do." Taryn followed suit, and placed his hands above his head, and generated his own sparks.
"Who do you think taught this to your father?" Lightneton proclaimed, with a little pride. "Who knew it would come full circle like this."
"Shut up and fight." Taryn said, angrily
"Very well. I'll make sure to dismember your little friend…very slowly. Too bad you won't be around to see it." Taryn's rage aura grew. "Or maybe I'll take over this world. I'll keep her as my pet." Taryn's eyes glowed solid red. "You know, keep her in a cage. AND SLOWLY WATCH HER STARVE!"
"SHUT UP!" Taryn let out a guttural scream.
Perfect. Lose it. He'll do the job for me.
They both brought their hands down to one side in unison. "DARK FURY!" They both screamed at the same time, placing their hands in front of them, and released their shots. The both hit, and immediately Taryn's blast ripped through Lightneton's and hit him with incredible force. It pushed him into the wall, and then continued through the mountain. The power of the blast blew a hole through the mountain. Lightneton laughed all the way to his destruction.
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