Chapter 28: Crossed Ideals, Love Heart vs Flash Heart
Love Heart’s swords clashed against Flash Heart’s light blade before he was forced to jump back as Flash Heart fired off a laser at him. Love Heart was put on the defensive as Flash Heart fired off a rapid volley of lasers at him. Love Heart dodged aside and swung one of his swords, sending off an arc of lightning towards Flash Heart. As the yellow bear ducked Love Heart charged in and struck upwards. Flash Heart dodged back and swung his light sword at Love Heart, just barely scratching his side. Love Heart stabbed down and nicked Flash in the foot, not nearly enough to paralyse him.
Their swords flew in a flurry, clashing off each other as the solid light impacted the magically conjured steel. A small crowd had gathered to watch the two as they locked their swords together and started to struggle.
Flash Heart grinned, “I’m impressed, I see how you were able to defeat Shatter Heart and Blade Star.”
Love Heart growled, “Those friends of yours nearly burned a hole in my arm and shattered my eardrums.”
Flash snorted, “I don’t call those two my friends, but I will admit that they are tough.” He grinned again, “I’m going to enjoy this!” He stepped back and swung up and outwards, Love Heart just barely able to dodge. Love Heart was forced to drop to the ground as Flash sliced the air where he had been a moment ago then literally flew backwards along the ground then up into the sky as he righted himself.
“You can fly?!” Flash Heart stared up at Love Heart, mouth open.
Love Heart conjured a pair of sheaths and used magic to attach them to his back. “Surprise!” He sheathed his swords then shot hit right arm towards Flash Heart and sent an arc of lightning directly at him. Flash Heart dodged aside a moment too late as the lightning struck his leg, he sucked air through his teeth and pointed up at Love Heart, unleashing a rapid-fire barrage of lasers. Both were struck by the other’s attacks, not enough to bring the other down but enough to send the few spectators that had gathered to flee.
Love Heart put his hands together, palms open facing forwards as electricity gathered in his hands. Flash Heart saw this and instead held up his right middle and index fingers and started to gather light in between the finger tips. The energy in Love Heart’s hands condensed until it formed into a small purple ball with strings that danced throughout his fingers and grew until it was the size of a baseball. The light on Flash’s fingertips grew into a miniature sun. Suddenly Love Heart shot his arms forwards and Flash Heart shot his hand forwards.
“Plasma Blast!” Love Heart shouted as the bolt of plasma shot down at Flash.
“Laser Drill!” Flash Heart shouted and fired off a spiraling beam of light towards Love Heart.
The beam and bolt struck each other in mid air and sent out waves of energy that made everyone’s hair stand on end. The plasma bolt tried to push down against the laser drill as Flash Heart tried to force the bolt back. Finally, Flash Heart stopped his attack and jumped back just in time to avoid the bolt as it struck down and exploded on the shore. Love Heart dove at Flash Heart drew his swords and swung down at Flash Heart, who just barely managed to conjure a pair of light swords to block the attack.
Their swords flashed and crashed against each other as they performed a deadly dance across the park. Love Heart’s feet no longer touched the ground as he darted in, striking at Flash Heart from any angle he could find, above, spiraling around behind him and striking him in the sides. Flash Heart was no amateur and he parried and blocked every attack, exercising all his skill to keep Love Heart’s assault at bay.
“Can’t focus,” Flash Heart panted as he deflected an attack that would have got him through the chest.
Love Heart pulled back for a moment, lowered his swords and landed to get his bearings. Something in the corner of his eye drew his attention and he turned just in time to see Marine Heart Otter hurl Confidence Heart into the lake then land on the surface.
“Confidence!” Love Heart was about to turn to the lake when a sharp pain lanced through his side.
“Don’t get distracted.” Flash Heart hand stuck one of his light swords through Love Heart’s left side, with the blade coming out his back.
Love Heart reacted almost instantly and slashed upwards at Flash Heart, he was too close to dodge. Flash Heart’s light sword vanished as he stumbled backwards, his right hand over the massive gash all the way up his front.
Love Heart stared at him, then the blood on his sword. “How did? I thought these couldn’t kill.”
“Neither did I?” Flash Heart’s right hand was glowing white as he applied the light to his wound to stop the bleeding and close it.
“Maybe…” Love Heart took a deep breath, “Only if I want to kill someone, because that’s how I just felt.” Love Heart exhaled and readied his swords. “OK gotta stay focused.
“Should have kept attacking,” Flash Heart finally closed his wound, though his coat and fur were still stained red. He raised his right hand and formed another sword of light, “Now then, let’s continue.”
“FREEZE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND PUT YOUR HANDS OVER YOUR HEADS!”
Love Heart looked over his shoulder, “Shit!” There were eight police in S.W.A.T. gear, or at least that’s what he thought they were called. Details didn’t matter, they all had firearms aimed at the two of them, four rifles and four handguns with one holding a megaphone he had used to make the announcement. Love Heart growled then dropped his swords, which dissolved as they hit the ground, and put his hands over his head, Flash Heart just stared at the police with a smirk and let his light sword disappear.
The officer spoke again, “ALRIGHT! NOW DOWN ON YOUR KNEES!” Love Heart dropped to his knees but Flash Heart didn’t.
Flash Heart scowled and created another light sword, “Not this time, thugs.” He raised the sword. Eight shots rang out. Love Heart felt two sharp pains in his back and saw Flash Heart reel as four bullets struck him in the chest and two in the middle of his head.
The pain wasn’t as intense as Love Heart thought it would be, maybe it was because he was dying. Time hung still as Flash Heart staggered, then glared as he reached up and pulled the two bullets out of his forehead, which left small red points where they had impacted. “THAT HURT!” Flash Heart’s body suddenly turned into a collection of light and flew past Love Heart, the last four bullets dropping to the ground. Love Heart felt something dislodge from his back as he stood up and turn around to see the two bullets that had hit him lying on the ground, smashed like they had struck a bulletproof vest.
Love Heart shook himself out of the trance when he saw that Flash Heart had reappeared at the end of the line of officers. “No more guns!” Flash Heart zipped across the front of the line. Flashes of light appeared in front of each SWAT officer and when Flash Heart stopped at the other side with a light sword in each hand, all of their guns fell apart into tiny chunks.
Flash Heart turned around to face the startled but still ready officers, some of drew their sidearms or clubs. “Are you really going to try that again?”
Love Heart crashed into Flash Heart’s side with a kick and sent him flying. “Run!” Love Heart shouted to the SWAT. “Bullet can’t hurt us so run!” he conjured his swords again and charged at Flash Heart.
One SWAT officer lowered his handgun and turned to the captain, “Sir, now what?”
The captain pointed to the people still loitering around the part who were watching the fights, “Get the civilians clear of here and make sure the news crews stay clear of the fighting. Go!”
OoOoO
Sage Heart, Life Heart, Crafty Heart and Hidden Heart stepped off the bus with the still unconscious Snowy Heart supported between Crafty and Sage Heart. Hidden Heart stuck close to Crafty and Life Heart as she gazed around the bus terminal. Her attention was drawn to a television screen that showed a park with a lake in the middle and a ribbon across the bottom that read: “BREAKING NEWS, BATTLE IN WASCANA PARK!” She grabbed Life Heart’s arm and pointed up at the screen right as the camera focused on Love Heart and Flash Heart, their swords of metal and light clashing off of each other, “Look!”
Life Heart followed her finger then gasped as she saw the screen. “It’s Love Heart!” Crafty and Sage Heart turned to look at the screen.
“That’s Wascana park, Com’on let’s go!” Crafty turned and forced Sage Heart to follow after her. Life Heart held her belly as she and Hidden Heart followed after them.
OoOoO
Love Heart and Flash Heart’s swords flew at each other in a flurry like before, only this time with greater intensity as light and electricity danced around them. Love Heart locked his swords and held Flash Heart’s in place, “You were going to kill them!”
Flash Heart growled, “Why do you care about those jackboots? You know what I don’t care!” He broke the lock and stuck out again. “I was just going to scare them off!” He dodged away from Love Heart. Love Heart struck out and caught Flash Heart slightly in the side as he turned into light and flew past Love Heart.
Love Heart whirled around just in time to be struck in the gut by a heavy metal weight. As he reeled from the blow he looked up to see Flash Heart standing a short distance away, a miniature scythe in his left hand and twirling a length of chain with a weight at the end in his right hand. “Kusarigama, a kama and weighted chain, my real weapon. Now time for round two!” Flash Heart whipped the weighted chain at Love Heart, who dodged aside and charged in and slashed as him. Flash Heart dodged aside and slashed at him with the kama in his right hand. Love Heart felt it cut across his chest and jumped back.
Flash Heart retreated back from Love Heart then swung the weighted chain end at him again, which wrapped around his middle. Flash Heart pulled Love Heart close to him, dropped the kama end, and conjured a light sword that he slashed into Love Heart with.
Love Heart cried out then stabbed his right hand sword into Flash Heart’s leg, no blood this time but not deep enough to paralyse it either. Flash Heart pushed him away and then struck out with the weighted end again and struck Love Heart in the side of his head. Stars burst in Love Heart’s vision and he fired out a web of lightning surrounding him. Flash Heart was caught by three of the bolts and was forced to jump backwards several steps.
Love Heart’s vision finally cleared as he turned to Flash Heart, lightning coursing through his swords. Flash Heart held up the kusarigama chain in his right hand and spun the chain around and around like a propeller. He suddenly whipped the weighted chain at Love Heart from six meters away, extra links forming on the chain and making it extend and strike a taken aback Love Heart in the side.
Love Heart reeled, hand on his injury as the chain magically retracted and Flash Heart spun it around his head again. “What the hell was that?!”
Flash Heart smirked, “Guess you don’t know much about our weapons do you? They’re magical, which is why they can hurt us but bullets can’t, and once you know how you can change their shape on the fly. Like adding extra links!” Flash Heart’s last shouted words were followed by the weighted chain whipping out at Love Heart again. This time Love Heart was ready and dodged back. Flash Heart reeled his chain back in only to be struck by a bolt of lightning from Love Heart but he held his ground and whipped out again. Love Heart was about to dodge when a flash of light from the yellow bear blinded him. Love Heart was struck hard in the gut then twice in the sides.
Love Heart all but forced his vision to clear, only for Flash Heart to have vanished. Love Heart had no time to react as the whirring noise of the chain sounded behind him. The links struck him in the left shoulder and the chain wrapped around his body until the metal weight stopped at his feet, pinning his legs together and his arms to his sides.
Flash Heart pulled tight on the chain and slashed the bladed kama into Love Heart’s right shoulder, where it passed through bloodlessly. Love Heart cried out in pain as he felt his right arm go limp and Flash Heart repositions the blade at Love Heart’s throat.
“I’m not going to kill you, I think I just showed that I know how to use this to paralyse or knock you out.” Flash Heart’s voice was a harsh growl in Love Heart’s ear, “I don’t want you to be unconscious when you meet Soul Heart but I will do it if I have to and then I’ll collect all your friends and drag them back after my family is done with them.”
Love Heart struggled for a moment, then saw the surface of the lake bubble up. He smiled at what he saw, “What makes you think they’re going to win?”
“What?!” Flash Heart looked up just in time to see Confidence hovering in mid air over the lake as she hurled Marine Heart to the shore. Flash Heart’s mouth fell open as he watched Confidence lay into Marine Heart with a ferocity he hadn’t expected from her. His pull on the chain loosened.
Love Heart felt the chain go slack and drove his left elbow into Flash’s stomach. Flash felt the air knocked form his lungs as he dropped the kusarigama. Love Heart formed a sword of pure blue lightning in his left hand and sliced the last of the chain in half, making it dissolve, and rounded on Flash Heart.
Flash Heart shook his head and saw Love Heart slash at him with the lightning sword. Flash Heart conjured a pair of light swords and blocked the next strike from Love Heart’s lightning sword. “You’re left handed?”
“Ambidextrous!” Love Heart stepped back, and stumbled with his limp right arm, then swung out with the lightning sword. Flash Heart dodged aside and disappeared in a flash of light, Love Heart swung his sword sideways and behind him which fired off a bolt if lightning that struck Flash Heart right as he appeared. Flash Heart staggered as Love Heart spun around and charge to assault him with renewed vigour.
Blow after blow after blow, Love Heart struck Flash Heart over and over with all the force he could until he struck at Flash Heart’s crossed light swords and all three energy swords shattered. Love Heart walked back as Flash Heart tried his light teleportation again but stumbled and only moved half a meter. Love Heart conjured a lightning sword into his left hand. He grit his teeth as the lightning condensed into a thin blade of purple plasma.
“This ends now!” Love Heart charged forwards as Flash Heart created a two-handed light sword to block the strike and four illusory duplicates appeared around him. “Plasmetic Slash!” Love Heart’s sword cleaved through Flash Heart’s sword, shattered all four illusions and sliced right through Flash Heart.
Flash Heart’s body was wreathed in plasma strings as he cried out in pain, then he fell to his knees then onto his face. Love Heart’s sword dissolved and he stumbled, panting as he tried to stay upright.
Duel of the leaders
Winner:
Love Heart Bear[/b]
“Love Heart!” Confidence Heart ran over and hugged Love Heart, despite her injuries.
Love Heart winced, “Ow, thank. How are you?”
“Sore all over, and I think I inhaled some water,” Confidence coughed.
Love Heart smiled, “Nah, if you had you wouldn’t be standing. Almost happened to me and Sweet Heart when we were kids.”
“But you saved me, big brother.” Sweet Heart almost crashed into Love Heart and Confidence in a big hug, but stopped when she felt his limp arm. “Are you OK.”
“I will be, how are you?” Love Heart looked his sister up and down, seeing the blood on her left wing.
Sweet Heart winced, “My wing hurts and but she’s worse,” Sweet Heart grinned and turned to where Guidance Heart and Defiant Heart were carrying Flora Bear between them, who was still awake but too hurt to move.
Flora spotted Marine Heart lying nearby and glared daggers at Confidence Heart, “You’ll pay for that.”
Confidence grinned, “Nope, he payed for that.”
“Looks like you all lost,” Indy came striding up with Calm Heart slung over his shoulder. He deposited her unceremoniously on the ground next to Flash Heart.
“Trophy pile then,” Defiant smirked as he and Guidance dropped Flora next to her two unconscious friends.
“Ooh my turn!” Despite her pain, Confidence Heart ran back over to Marine Heart and began to haul him over to the group.
Love Heart looked Indy up and down, “Are you alright?”
“Almost drained. That’s only he second time I finished a fight.” Indy smiled, “Thanks for finding me.” He walked over to Love Heart and took hold of Love Heart’s limp right arm.
“Thanks for helping out. I wouldn’t have been able to fight them both at once,” Love Heart felt a bit of exhaustion seep into him as feeling returned to his arm. He looked up as Confidence Heart dragged Marine Heart next to Flora Bear.
“That’s right, you couldn’t have,” Flora tried to sit up but collapsed to her back. She turned to Marine’s unconscious form and her voice softened, “Don’t worry, Marine. Soul Heart will fix this.”
“And just who is Soul Heart?” Everyone turned to see Sage Heart, who had just spoken, and Crafty approach with the unconscious Snowy Heart between them and Life Heart and a Grey Care Wolf walking behind them.
“Sorry, we had some bad traffic on the way home,” Crafty grinned as she and Sage Heart deposited Snowy Heart on the pile.
“Looks like it,” Confidence looked over to Hidden Heart, who just waved, “So who are you?”
“Hid…Hidden Heart Wolf,” Hidden Heart’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“Don’t worry, she’s just shy.” Crafty Heart whistled, “Damn, we really cleaned up.”
Sage Heart crouched next to Flora Bear and looked her in the face, “Now tell me, who are you and who is Soul Heart.”
“That would be me. I am Soul Heart Bear.”
Everyone’s sight was drawn upwards to a thin purple bear grinning down at them who wore a black bodysuit and a long, billowing black cape; they couldn’t tell if Soul Heart was male or female, they seemed to lack and discernable indicators of gender, save for the voice which sounded vaguely female.
Soul Heart shook her head, “I’m actually impressed, I only thought Marine Heart might lose when he lost his temper, but all of you. I really underestimated the pegasus.”
“What do you want!” Love Heart clenched his fist as he glared up at Soul Heart.
“For the moment, to deal with all of you,” Soul Heart held up her hands, a ball of black energy in her left and a ball of ice in her right which she raised them over her head and fused into a ball of black ice. Soul Heart grinned and hurled the ball down at them, “Black Ice Strike!”
“Run!” Love Heart shouted and the Magi scattered at the ice ball struck where they had been a moment ago.
Soul Heart conjured several orbs of black energy, “I think I’ll end this right now and…and…ARRRGH!” the black energy orbs disappeared as Soul Heart clutched her head. “We have to save…our family.” Her voice suddenly became harsh and echoing, “NO! DESTROY…DESTROY THEM!” Soul Heart sucked in a hard breath and focused her gaze on the unconscious and injured combatants still lying together, “I have to save them.” She held out her right hand and fired off a hollo black bubble at them. The bubble enveloped them and levitated them upwards.
Soul Heart pressed her left hand into her left eye and bared her teeth towards the group, “You’ve defeated the Shadow Magi this time, but we’ll be back!” The black bubble floated up to be level with her, then they all vanished into a sudden flicker of energy.
Crafty Heart was the first to speak, “So what just happened.”
“I was hoping all of you could tell me.” All of them turned towards the new voice, a male voice. The owner was walking towards them; he was a blue male Care Dog about the same height as Confidence Heart with a red heart-shaped medallion for a chest symbol, though he wasn’t wearing anything.
Love Heart was on his guard but didn’t draw a weapon, “Who are you? Are you with them?”
The dog shook his head, “No. My name is Loyal Heart Dog from the Care Bear Family. Who are all of you?”
Love Heart visibly relaxed, “My name is Love Heart Bear of the Care Bear Magi. I think we’ve been trying to find you for my entire life.”
