Chapter 13 Justice or mercy?
"I will kill you!" Said Noheart as he attacked Darkage.
"Funny, I should be the one wanting to kill you," Responded Darkage. "For what you did to my parents!" He shouted as he struck hard and true with his double edged saber. "My parents would still be alive if it wasn't for you!" He said with anger in his eyes. They continued to battle one another blocking, pushing, and parrying one another till Noheart blocked a head strike by Darkage and held his former apprentice's saber there.
"You should have seen your parents when they were burned alive! I remember the last thing they said before they died," Noheart grabbed Darkage's weaponed hand by the wrist and crept up closely besides Darkage whispering into his ear. "Your parents cried, 'Joaquin we are sorry. We love you!"
"You -------!," Said Darkage as he broke free himself free of Nohearts grip and swung hard. "You'll pay for this!" Darkage locked swords with Noheart yet again but this time, with Noheart pushing down against Darkage's blade. Darkage swifty heaved Noheart backwards braking up the lock. Noheart responded quickly firing purp[e lightning at Darkage. Darkage easily blocked it with his saber. After a brief moment of this, Darkage expeditiously swung his saber in a side swipe at Noheart's head. Noheart parried it away.
"That's it! Let the hate flow through you!" Noheart instructed.
"Ahhhhh!" Darkage shouted as he gritted his teeth reaching out with a out stretched arm pushing Noheart back with the force to the ground. Darkage dashed and sat on top of Noheart's chest and struck him across the face with his elbow. He followed up with his other arm as well again and again as blood began gushing out from Noheart's cowl.
"Darkage stop it!" Darkage paused and looked up and saw the carebears entering the room. "Beating up on Noheart will not bring back your parents!" Said Trueheart.
"Shut up," Darkage responded. "Don't you think I know that! But its so hard to let it go! He must pay for his crime!"
"Make me pay Darkage," Darkage turned his head to face Noheart with an angry scorn, but was blown away into the air by Noheart taking the form of a tornado. He then took the form of a bull. "If you will not join me, you shall die along with the rest of the carebear family!" Noheart stomped his hoofs charging after Darkage who had now just gotten up to his feet. Darkage dove to his right avoiding Noheart's incoming attack.
"Look out Wishbear!" Wishbear froze in fear and could not move as the bull came at her. Noheart crashed into Wishbear trampling her under his hoofs and kicked her with his right hind foot which sent her flying into a wall.
"Don'st go after her! Come after me!" Shouted Darkage as he prepared for Noheart who had halted on the other side of the room. Noheart turned and fired purple lightning from his horns hitting Darkage squarely on his chest. Darkage dropped to both knees agonizing in pain.
"Mohahahahaha! Now I have you," Said Noheart smiling as he lifted up Darkage using the force thrashing Darkage's body upwards against the roof. Then back down. "You will die for your betrayal to me!" Noheart continued his relentless attack upon Darkage in the same fashion, up against the roof, then back down to the floor, Darkage's body hit again and again.
"We must help him!" Shouted Tenderheart bear.
"There is nothing we can do," Said Nobleheart horse shaking his head from side to side regretfully. "Noheart still has his protective stone."
"Yes we can help him," Shouted Lonesomeheart bear. "We can help him in another way!" She said while she activated her saber.
"Stand back carebear," Shouted Noheart with a warning. "Or your friend will die!" Noheart put his right hinded hoof on Wishbear's throat.
"Your a coward Noheart!" Shouted Aqua bear shaking his fist at Noheart.
"You call me a coward when there's only me against all of you," Replied Noheart. "Pah! I'd say I'd just even up the odds!" The carebears stood helplessly witnessing this sad situation knowing they were powerless to help unless they wished to risk one of there own.
"Stop it Noheart," Shouted Trueheart bear. "Its us that you want! If you let Joaquin go, we will surrender." The cream colored bear declared sadly. "He's suffered enough."
"An interesting proposition," Said Noheart as he continued his onslaught on Darkage. "Lower your sabers caring guardians," The two caring guardians raised there sabers in defiance. "Do it or your friend dies!" The two caring guardians clutched there swords watching Darkage's battered body take blow after blow. "Don't you care about your friend?" The two caring guardians looked at Wishbear under Noheart's hoof and continued to hear the another sickening thud as Darkage hit the roof and cried out in indescribable pain.. "Going once, going twice! The deal is."
"Alright!" Shouted Aqua bear. "Will do it!"
"Aqua bear?" Said Lonesomeheart bear with shock.
"We don't have any other choice Lonesomeheart." Confessed Aqua bear. "Its either we fight Noheart and risk Wish bear in the process, or surrender and let Darkage live. Besides, I think its what Wishbear would have wanted." Lonesomeheart bear conceded and put down her light saber on the ground as well. Noheart slammed Darkage one last time to the ground in which his body landed just in front of Noheart's head.
"Mohahahaha. Now all of you gather together over there in that corner." The carebears with their heads hanging down obeyed. Once they were finally all gathered in the corner, Noheart sent purple lightning right at them. But instead of hurting them, his purple lightning formed into a magical cage like barrier around them. "Now that I have all of you, I think I'll start with this one!"
"You promised you wouldn't hurt her!" Cried Aqua bear.
"I lied," Grinned Noheart. "Now say goodbye!" He lifted up his hoof then paused for a quick second.
"No!" Shouted Trueheart bear. His hoof now came crashing down until all of a sudden his hind leg stopped in mid motion.
"Darkage!" Shouted Trueheart as she watched Darkage grab a hold of Noheart's throat with his right hand.
"You will not hurt anyone anymore!" Shouted Darkage as Noheart was now fighting for breath as he choked from his grip. As Noheart shook his head to get free, Darkage managed to hand on tightening his grip on the bulls neck and picked the dark sorcerer's body up in the air at about four feet, and slammed him squarely into the ground which caused stones from the floor to fly all over the room. Darkage used the force reaching outr with his freed hand to Wishbear sending her to safety placing her down gently next to the lightning cage. Wishbear slowly began to twitch regaining consiousness.
"Are you alright?" Inquired Tenderheart bear.
"Yes," She answered as she sat up in a sitting position rubbing her ears. "What happened?"
"You'll pay for that!" Shouted Noheart choking as he stood up panting for breath with Darkage squeezing. Noheart got to his feet and sent lightning at Darkage from his two horns which caused Darkage to let go of Noheart and raised his hands just in time as he blocked it. "Give it up! You can't win!" Boasted Noheart.
"Not only will I overcome and defeat you," He answered. "I will also rescue the carebear family and deny you any chance at destroying them!" After a few moments, Noheart's lightning attack finally gave out. Darkage formed a purple tennis ball and fired it back at Noheart. It hit Noheart in the face and sent him crashing backwards to the ground. The carebears cheered Darkage on.
"Way to go Darkage," Shouted Trueheart bear. "Our hero!" Darkage smiled in response to Trueheart's vote of confidence. Darkage now took out his saber and activated it.
"Now time to finish the job!" Darkage said aloud. Then he felt the floor move from underneath him. Noheart's body was now completely red instead of purple as he rose to his feet.
"Die," He said as he came charging at Darkage at high velocity. Darkage threw his saber at the bull forcing Noheart to readjust. "Missed me!" He said as he dodged Darkage's saber and regained momentum charging right at his rebellious former apprentice. Darkage remained perfectly still with an outstretched arm. "Now I have you! What! No! Ahhh!" Screamed Noheart as he felt Darkage's saber slice through all of his legs underneath. "Ahhhh!" Darkage caught his saber as it came flying back to him. Darkage walked over Noheart who now laid on the cold stone floor of his own castle bleeding and put his saber just inches away from his head. "Go ahead Darkage. Finish it!" Darkage lifted up his saber and Noheart closed his eyes in anticipation of his death. But instead he felt his chain brake from his neck. "What! Aren't you going to finish me off?"
"No Noheart. Because killing you would not bring back my parents," He said pointedly as he walked away from Noheart to where the cage was. "I let it go of my hate when 'I said I forgave you!'"
"You must finish it," He shouted. "You defeated me!"
"That is your teaching," He answered promptly. "I have rejected all you have ever taught me when I left you and the darkside. Besides, I figure you'd be happy to live another day."
"I have nothing else to live for," Said Noheart as Darkage looked at him puzzled. "You see Darkage, just like you my parent's were also killed."
"You never told me this," Said Darkage in disbelief. "I thought you were originally a demon from hell!"
"No," Said Noheart in protest. "I was once human just like you until I also was tricked into joining the darkside. Someone else used to be in my place until I killed my former master for his betrayal for killing my parents just as I did to yours. Unfortunately, the evil that surrounded my former master came into me. The only way I could be free, was to find someone else more powerful to take my place so that I could finally rest in peace."
"That's why you wanted me to kill you," Darkage said in understanding. "So that I could take your place!"
"Yes. However, there is a terrible price. Once you kill the one in my place, you remain evil forever until someone else takes your place." Darkage nodded in understanding at his loss.
"I am sorry for what happened to your parents. But that gives you no excuse to do it to somebody else!"
"Please Darkage," He begged. "I now lie in great pain. Please finish what you started."
"Don't do it Darkage," Said Wishbear as she ran besides Darkage and tightly wrapped her arms around Darkage's waste.
"OW!" Said Darkage wincing as Wishbear loosened up her grip.
"Sorry," Apologized Wish bear. "You know Noheart's only trying to trick you so that you will remain evil forever!"
"I know." Said Darkage carefully trying to keep his duo saber away from Wish bear as he turned his head and looked at Noheart. "But I still can't help feeling sorry for him." He said sympathetically.
"But if you kill him, you'll take his place!" Wishbear protested looking up at Darkage with pleading eyes.
"I don't intend on killing him. But he'll pay for his treachery for the rest of his life by being Noheart forever!"
"No Darkage," Said Noheart pointedly. "It is your destiny to take my place!"
"I'll never take your place," Said Darkage. "This evil you did to me began with you, and it will end with you! You have failed!"
"What will you do," Noheart asked as his legs now completely regenerated unnoticed. "Join the carebears and become a caring guardian?" He said mockingly. "There is no place for you amongst them! You belong with me!" Darkage noticed Noheart was steadily moving towards him calculating. "They won't ever forgive you for what you did to them helping me imprison them." Darkage looked down in shame.
"Don't listen to him Darkage," Said Wishbear affectionately brushing her paws on his back. "We forgive you. We don't hate you. You were deceived by him!" She then brought her hands to the from of her and gently took hold of Darkage's consoling his hands affectionately. "
I deserve whatever punishment they see fit for what I did," Said Darkage. "And I take full responsibility for everything!"
"Why take the punishment when you can dish it out?" Noheart said as he unexpectadly leapt up at Darkage.
"Lookout Wishbear!" Said Darkage as he broke her grasp and pushed her on her hard on her chest as Darkage took the charge. Darkage now lay underneath Noheart who immediately transformed into a hippo. Darkage tried to push him off of him but to no avail.
"Now time to finish you off!" Noheart went back to his lightning attack which shot out of his open mouth with Darkage agonizing in pain.
"Darkage!" Shouted Wishbear. "Carebear coundown 4,3, 2,"
"That won't work!" Said Noheart. "Have you already forgotten about my protection against your stare?"
"1, Stare!" Wishbear aimed and hit Noheart right on target.
"Ahhh. Stop it!" This forced Noheart to transform to a tornado form to break up the stare from his body and reformed into his original form. "What happened? How were you able to break through my protection?"
"I think this will explain the answer that you are looking for." Said Darkage as he stood up revealing the protective stone out which was layed in his hand.
"Give me that!" Noheart demanded reaching for the amulet. Darkage quickly countered by grabbing his hand and threw Noheart over his shoulder to the ground. Darkage followed up with a quick energy blast of his own.
"Bright strike!" Noheart rolled away from Darkage before the white ball of energy could strike him.
"Darkage, the stone," Shouted Wishbear. "Destroy the stone!" Darkage took the stone threw it hard against the floor.
"No!" Said Noheart. The cage that Noheart created around the carebears now had just disappeared.
"Quickly carebears, get into your stare formation and finish him off before he regains his strength!" Commanded Darkage. The carebears did as he asked.
"Countdown 4, 3, 2, 1, stare!" Noheart took the full blast.
"You may have won today carebears. But I promise you, I will have my veangeance! UGH!" He said as he transformed into a tornado and retreated in shame. The carebear family cheered in victory. Darkage limped away towards a door attempting to make a quick exit.