Here's chapter thirty - three. Thank you DaniPotterLovesGod, Axel'sChakrams8, explosivebagel, and caitlinkeitorin for reviewing last chapter!

Chapter Thirty - Three: What Makes a Hero?

"What?" Mala exclaimed. Gillick turned to look at her with a momentary feeling of surprise. He'd forgotten she and Riun were still there. "What are you talking about?"

"I thought that was obvious," Gillick growled, crossing his arms. "I want to help take down the Keybladers."

Mala looked at him a few moments, stunned, then shook her head furiously. "This is insane. Absolutely insane." She glared at him. "The world needs Keybladers. They're the keepers of the peace!"

"You wouldn't be complaining if I were only talking about the Dark Army Keybladers, would you?" he asked.

"Well, no…but that's different!"

"No it's not," Gillick growled. "They only want you to think it is."

"This is awkward," Silver sighed, interrupting them. Two pairs of eyes, one amber and one blue, turned towards her. She was eyeing Gillick curiously. "Are you telling the truth? Do you really want to help me in this?"

Gillick straightened. "I'm serious. Trust me, I have plenty of reasons to hate the Keybladers."

"And those reasons are…?" Silver gave him a questioning look.

He thought about all that had happened to him, and decided it was better not to tell her. "My reasons are my own," he retorted.

"Then how do I know I can trust you?" Silver shot back.

A grim smile tugged on his lips. "These two can confirm it," he responded, jerking his head towards Mala and Riun.

Mala hesitated, before sighing and saying, "He's telling the truth. I don't like it, but he's telling the truth."

Riun scuffed his foot in the dirt. "U-um, yeah."

Silver's eyes flicked from them back to Gillick. "Well, then," she said, a small smile tugging the corners of her mouth upwards, "come with me."

Questions littering his mind, Gillick followed Silver and the boy who'd attacked him and his companions. Riun followed slowly behind, and Mala, though reluctantly, came after.

Silver led them through the trees for a ways before stopping. "Welcome to the resistance," she commented dryly.

Gillick stepped forward, Riun and Mala behind him, to survey the area. His eyes widened in shock when he saw various creatures - human and otherwise - milling around a clearing filled with tents. "What…is this?" he asked, too stunned to come up with a better response.

"This," Silver replied with a touch of pride, "is the Silver Fang: the warriors who believe the same as I do, and who fight for me."

Gillick turned surprised amber eyes to her. "How many…?"

"Roughly fifty, at the moment," Silver responded. "Not counting you. It's not much, but it's a start."

Gillick snorted. "It's more than enough," he responded. It's more than I ever thought existed, he added silently. Or, at least, more than I believed would be willing to fight.

"Follow me," Silver commanded, adding a motion that signaled he should move forward. Gillick, though not thrilled with being ordered around, followed behind her as she led the way through the camp. "We'll find some place for you to stay," she informed him as she walked, "but if you're serious about joining us, then you'll need to perform the same duties as everyone else."

No, really? he retorted silently. "I'd figured," he commented aloud.

Her eyes shifted towards him, but she didn't comment on his snide remark. Instead, she continued, "You'll have to help with the ambushes on the Keybladers, though if you were being truthful, then this shouldn't be a problem for you." Ambushes? Clever. He reluctantly conceded that for a group so much smaller than the Armies, ambushes were a better alternative. "When we leave, you'll have to help pack up camp so that we can do it quickly and efficiently. You'll also have to participate in battle practice, so you can keep your skills sharp. There's also a rotation for daily chores. It'll be posted up outside my tent each morning. Check it then to see what you're doing."

Gillick snorted. "Really? And you remember everyone's names?" he asked sarcastically.

"Actually, I have them write down their name and species upon joining," Silver retorted. "Speaking of which…" She pushed her way into a tent, and, after a few moments, Gillick and his two silent companions followed. Silver pushed a paper and pen towards him across the desk. "Sign at the bottom." He snorted, signing his name and species - human - towards the bottom. Silver took the paper then glanced at Mala and Riun. "Now you two."

Mala backed up hesitantly. "I…" She trailed off, then looked at Gillick. "Are you sure this is what you want? I mean, your brother's a Keyblader, for crying out loud! Don't family ties mean anything to you?"

Gillick's amber eyes hardened. "They still mean something to me," he growled in response, "but they are nothing to him."

Mala shook her head. "You're wrong, you know. He still cares about you."

"Well, not enough, does he?" Gillick growled. He turned away from her. "He'd rather fight for bastards? Fine. I'd rather fight for my beliefs."

He could feel Mala's gaze boring into him. "Fine," she replied quietly, "but I'm taking no part in it." He heard the sound of the tent entrance flapping as she left.

"Well, this is turning into quite a drama," Silver commented.

"Unfortunately, it follows me," Gillick growled.

Silver turned her green eyes to Riun next. "And what about you? Are you in or out?"

Riun, for once, looked uncomfortable. "Um…can I think about it?"

Silver nodded. "Of course."

"A question," Gillick interrupted. "Do you have any magic-users here?"

Silver shot him a look. "Some. Why do you ask?"

"Because the kid needs training."

Understanding glittered in her eyes. "If he decides to stay, we'll make sure we find someone good to give him all the lessons he needs."

"But…Gillick's teaching me!" Riun protested.

"And you think I'm going to be able to keep teaching you?" Gillick retorted angrily.

Riun shrunk away. "But…you said you would!"

"Yeah, well, I'm not a mage," he responded. "You'll learn better from them than you will from me."

"But-"

Gillick cut off his protest. "Anything else we need to know?"

Silver was eyeing them curiously. "No. You may go. I'll let you know when we have a tent ready for you."

Gillick snorted, striding past. He didn't like the idea of being ordered around like he'd been when he'd been a part of the Armies, but if it meant that the eyes of the world would be opened to the faults of the Keybladers, then…it might just be worth it.

Riun shifted uneasily on the bed roll he'd been given. He was exhausted, but couldn't sleep because of his whirling thoughts. They mostly centered around the Silver Fang and Gillick. I want to stay with Gillick, he thought, but…I don't want to fight the Keybladers…

He sighed quietly, rolling over. Everything seemed so confusing now. When he'd started out, he'd just wanted to become a hero and go on an adventure. Following Gillick had seemed simple, even though it had taken the discovery that he could use magic to convince him to train him. Now, though…everything was harder.

He sighed and rolled over again. Then there was the matter of Gillick himself. He was his hero; he'd saved him from the Light Army Keybladers, and when the Dark Army thought he was for the Light Army, and had tried to protect him and Mala from the assassin. But…Gillick wasn't perfect. He didn't like admitting it, because it didn't match up with his image of what a hero was. The fact remained, however, that he had faults…and Riun was beginning to have no choice but to accept them.

He rolled onto a back, looking up towards the fabric that stretched above him, silently going over what his mother had told him a hero was in his mind. A hero is just and kind. A hero is selfless, a protector of peace and the innocent. A hero is a vanquisher of the wicked, a being filled with courage and unshakable faith. A hero always does what's right. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Gillick didn't completely match that image.

…Maybe Gillick was right, and he wasn't really a hero after all.

Riun shook his head forcefully. No! Gillick may not match what the words said, but…his heart was telling him that there was something about the older boy. And you were always supposed to listen to your heart, right? After all, that's where a Keyblader's power comes from, so it had to be a good thing.

…But if he agreed to stay with Silver, then he would be fighting against the Keybladers. And wouldn't that mean fighting against everything they stood for, too? He didn't want to do that.

Riun pushed himself off the bedroll, his decision made. Slowly, he pushed his way out of the tent.

"Not staying, huh?"

He jumped at the voice. "Gillick!"

The older boy was standing outside, arms crossed. "Obviously," he growled to him.

Riun looked at him nervously, wondering if he'd feel betrayed that he was leaving. "It's not that you're not awesome, or anything!" he tried to explain himself. "But…I don't want to fight against the Keybladers! They stand for what's good. So…if we fight them, does that mean we stand for what's bad?"

Gillick gave him a thoughtful look. Then a small smirk of amusement touched his lips. "So you're a deep thinker now, huh?" He shook his head, not waiting for an answer. "The good things in the world are what the Keybladers are supposed to stand for. Maybe at one time they actually did. If they still did what they were supposed to, then I'd agree with you." Anger flared in his eyes, and an angry frown creased his features. "But they don't. Not anymore."

"Yes, they do!" Riun protested.

"They only give the appearance that they do," Gillick responded, "and not all of them have the decency to do that." He shook his head. "If these 'Silver Fang' are really going to do what they say they are, then we'll be the ones fighting for all the things the Keybladers gave up."

Riun looked away uncomfortably. "Well…I still think the Keybladers are good. So…I can't stay."

Gillick shrugged. "Whatever."

Riun walked a few paces away, then, on a spurt of emotion, ran back and embraced the older boy, startling him. "But I still think you're a hero," he informed him.

Gillick snorted, his surprise obviously wearing off. "And what exactly is your definition of a hero?"

"Someone who's just, and kind, and selfless, and a protector of the peace and innocent, and courageous, and has a lot of faith, and destroys bad things, and always does what's right!"

"That's unrealistic," Gillick scoffed, his voice filled with contempt. "No one's like that, especially not me." He detached the boy from his waist and pushed him away. "So why the hell are you calling me one?"

A few tears were pricking the corners of Riun's eyes. "Because you are a hero," he responded. "Just…a different kind of hero."

Gillick shook his head. "You're wrong, kid. Now get out of here."

Riun took a step back, hurt by the remark. "But-"

"You didn't want any part in this, did you?" Gillick interrupted. "So why are you still hanging around here?"

Because I don't want to say goodbye… He'd already lost Mala; he didn't want to lose Gillick, too. And he knew he couldn't go to Mala later; she'd be going to the Light Army, and they'd kept him prisoner. So…once he left…he'd be alone…

Then Gillick turned and disappeared into the tent, leaving him alone in the darkness of the night.

He sniffed, trying to stop his tears. I'm alone now. I have to be brave. Like…a hero… Slowly, he turned and headed out of the camp and into the forest.

That's the end of chapter thirty - three. Reviews would be awesome, please?