Death, Taxes and Heartless. [Dieter/Invite]

Gula kept fighting, slashing faster than most people could follow. He was always gifted with speed and agility, which allowed him to tear through Heartless with ease. Unfortunately, speed and agility were no help against hubris and a rash personality, which allowed Aced to defeat Gula, even when he was weakened. Gula had expected an easy fight, forgetting that Aced would never be an easy fight. The Galbadian forces could only look on as this boy was taking care of things faster and more efficiently than they could. However, there still seemed to be no end to the swarm as they came in droves. This only made Gula fight harder, knowing they were drawn to his Keyblade. As long as there were attacking him, they weren't killing anyone else and that was just fine by the Foreteller. After all, he vowed to fight and defeat the Darkness, even if it meant his dying breath and he was not about to go back on his word. And so, he kept fighting, casting a Thundaga spell around him to wreck any chances of getting surrounded.

But then, a very peculiar thing happened. Gula smelled it before he saw who the smell belonged to. The stench of Darkness and somehow, it was almost overpowering the surrounding Heartless. Gula then saw who that smell belonged to and it was none other than a... girl? Guy? Was it even human? Gula's title of Keyblade Master wasn't just for show. It came with powers that allowed him to sense and manipulate the Hearts of people, even their Light and Darkness. Yet, what he was sensing from this person was like nothing he had ever perceived before. That Heart was bathed in Darkness, almost thrived on it. Darkness permeated this creature's entire being. And yet, his Heart was filled with a ferocious, wild, fiery Light. This Light seemed to be unquenchable, keeping the Darkness at bay. It was something Gula was unfamiliar with and quite frankly, he had spent too long being paranoid to trust in this creature with the Wild Heart. Then he (Gula had ultimately decided that this person was more built like a man) started attacking the Heartless. Weren't the Heartless being controlled by this dark being? That had to be the case. At the very least, they were first drawn to such a Dark Heart. Perhaps, but this man seemed to hold no mercy in his Heart for the Heartless and Gula was not about to question it in the middle of such a fight.

Gula's senses focused back on the fight in question and he flipped over a Soldier, landing behind him and slicing through his midsection. For now, he would observe this man from afar, judging his abilities. If it came to fighting him, Gula wanted to be sure he wasn't going in blind. Gula then cast Haste on himself to almost mimic the other man. Now he became a blur of motion, slicing through the Heartless with wild abandon as they charged ever forth, dancing around their blows. He took a few hits here and there but that was to be expected. He was going to continue fighting on in the name of all those who lost their lives to the War.  

"...heeeelllp..."

Gula kept fighting through the swarm, amazed at how many had swarmed to his location in so little time. Gula deduced that both the creature that joined him and his keyblade were the causes. Luckily, he seemed to see a light at the end of the tunnel. The swarm was beginning to taper off, though not enough to make Gula consider that they were approaching victory. Exhaustion was creeping up on him and he tried his best to not waver in his resolve. His vow... his vow to end this pain and misery for everyone was still fresh in his mind. Gula kept fighting his hardest, keeping an eye on the other fighter in case he had any ideas about stabbing him in the back.

"...Heeeelllp"

Gula suddenly heard something. What was it? It was faint but he swore he wasn't hearing things. His heart was pounding in his chest. He could feel the adrenaline in his body as it pumped through him. Gula had been so focused on the Heartless and the other fighter that he hadn't given heed to much else. He had assumed everyone had been evacuated, but perhaps the guards missed one? Gula frantically searched the area but his momentary lapse in focus cost him. A large body had managed to appear behind him and slammed Gula its giant fist. It sent Gula flying, skipping him across the ground until he slid to a stop. The punch hurt quite a bit, nearly knocking the wind out of him. Gula tried to get to his feet, but pain and exhaustion had taken a firm hold on him. He had been out of practice for longer than he had thought, if he was this weak.

"Heeeeeeeelp!"

Gula looked up to see the Heartless advancing towards him. His Keyblade was stuck in the ground a few feet in front of him. Then he saw them. A mother and child, cowering before the monsters that threaten to destroy them both. He also saw the fighter, now shifted to some demonic figure, protecting them with his body and sword. Gula could only marvel at this display of compassion from so dark a Heart. What WAS this guy? Gula raised himself, slowly, to his feet. Whatever this warrior was, Gula didn't trust him. He had seen the damage Darkness could do and that... whatever it was was too close to those innocent people for his liking. Even if he had the best intentions, this warrior couldn't last forever. Besides, his vow was to protect the people of these fractured worlds. It'd be real hypocritical of him if he just let this one die. Gula blinked to where the mother and child were, the Keyblade disappearing and reappearing in his hand. Gula took the mother by the arm and said, "Come with me, I'll get you past the barricade and to safety." The mother looked, very unsure, between Gula and the demonic warrior. Then, she held her child close to her and took Gula's hand in hers. She was stunned... why was a child risking his life to save hers? Gula led her to the barricade, slicing at the Heartless to and fro and protecting the two innocents with his own blade and body when he could.

Suddenly, magic flew through the air and hit more Heartless, creating a clear path through to the barricade. Gula looked up and the Galbadian SeeDs had joined in, apparently tired of waiting behind the barricade like cowards. They took the woman and child to safety. Gula, feeling somewhat relieved, turned around and faced the Heartless once more. Gula then passed his hand over his Keyblade, which soon became electrified, electricity arcing over the Keyblade. This made it much stronger as the Leopardos Union Leader dived into the fray again, front flipping over the Large Body that hurt him before and slicing him from behind. The swarm continued to taper off, now helped by the SeeDs' arrival and their magic.

Hours had passed. The streets had finally settled down. The Heartless swarm had passed, thanks not only to the two heroes, but also the SeeD Reinforcements. However, once Gula had ensured that the Heartless had been taken care of, he immediately left before anyone could congratulate him. He wasn't here for the glory and the accolades. It was just something that had to be done. Unfortunately, that meant Dieter was left to be swarmed by the SeeDs, the Military and the citizens. Besides, there could be other Heartless roaming about. Gula ducked into an alley and when he was fairly sure no one was going to bother him, he slumped down and took a deep breath, trying to calm down from the fight. It had been long and arduous and he still felt the pain from his injuries. He cast a quick Curaga spell on his self to heal the vast majority of him, but no magic he had could help his exhaustion. It had been too long since he'd fought. Aced would probably say that he'd gone soft, the thought of which made Gula chuckle a little. It hadn't been too long ago that he found the Master and openly defied him by fighting the Darkness. He hoped the Master would understand why Gula did it, but... in his Heart he knew his crusade would probably end with him fighting the very people he once considered friends, even the Master himself. But then again, wasn't that what he wanted? To be punished for his failures? Sure seemed that way.

Gula looked up at the night sky, gazing at all the stars in the Heavens. Each one a world still alive, if not truly intact. It was a tall order to say, "I'm going to save all of them." But that's what Gula vowed to do. Save them or die trying. And he was not going to save them by sitting here and brood to himself. Gula used his Keyblade as a crutch to stand up, still a bit too fatigued to do it himself. That Dark one... who was he? Or to be more accurate, WHAT was he? Was he a native to this world? It was true that even Gula didn't know everything about every world, even with the Book of Prophecies' power. But even that one seemed too strange. That darkness... and that fiery light... that being couldn't be human, could it? Gula went back out of the alley and looked for the warrior. Then he walked off towards a circular plaza, right in front of a grand arch. He was sure the monster would confront him. So, might as well find a big enough place to fight him in. 

"Hmph... Yeah, I was."

Gula sighed. It was time to put up or shut up. If he truly wished to fight the Darkness, he couldn't leave things be, not while such a creature was roaming the worlds. Such Darkness... it needed to be destroyed. However, the leopard-masked kid still had an inkling of doubt in him. Why did this man, so steeped in Darkness, fight against the Heartless? Were they not alike? It seemed incredibly odd to Gula, as the only dark beings he had really come across with the Darklings. Yet this was no mere Darkling. Perhaps this was why the Foreteller hadn't attacked yet. He hesitated for a moment. Then he pulled out his Keyblade, turned and pointed it at Dieter. He could still feel exhaustion creeping up on him and threatening to overtake him. He was breathing a little hard, so he tried to regulate it. He couldn't let this person see weakness in him. Gula had to figure out why this man was here and what he was planning to do.

"Who are you and what are you doing on this world?" Gula asked, though it sounded more like a demand than anything else. Tension filled the air as Gula waited for an answer. He could practically feel the silence that overtook the area after Gula asked his question. The silence was punctuated, very faintly, by the cries of despair. It would seem, even when fighting off a monstrous horde of Heartless, there were still casualties. One day, Gula wouldn't have to hear that anymore. He was just unsure how that result would come to be. As Gula observed his potential opponent, he noticed that Dieter seemed to be doing just fine. There were very little wounds on his person and he didn't seem exhausted, though whether this was true or he was just hiding his true condition remained to be seen.

Gula's doubts were truly hard to suppress. This being, whatever it was, emanated such an oppressive darkness. Yet, Gula just couldn't sense any hostile intent from it. Gula's senses had been honed from years of fighting, both Heartless and other Keyblade Wielders. Even among the Foretellers, he was something of a passive observer. Unfortunately, that had cost him dearly. Still, it wasn't without its benefits. But even that was to no avail. This being was powerful enough to give Gula trouble on a good day. The Leopardos Union Leader instinctively took a step back, away from the approaching creature. However, at the very least it introduced himself and its story was plausible enough at least. It wasn't the first time he'd seen someone stranded on another world due to the machinations of others. Gula lowered his weapon, letting the tip touch the ground. He kept trying to regulate his breathing, but it was getting harder to do so by the minute. While Gula had lowered his Keyblade, he kept his guard up and his senses attuned. He had a feeling that if he let it drop for a second, it would be the end of him. Gula kept his gaze on Dieter.

"The Darkness you drifted through... you exude that same Darkness. In fact, I've felt neither a Darkness nor a light as strong as yours. You... You're not quite human, are you, Dieter?" A bit rude to ask, for sure, but Gula wasn't exactly the mannerly type at the moment. "And yet, you helped those people. You helped me fight the Heartless. To me, you're quite the enigma." Gula smirked a bit. "At least you're an enigma that doesn't put on the act of a goofball." The Foreteller took a deep breath, the pain in his ribs reminding him that his Curaga didn't heal all his wounds. He couldn't fight Dieter even if he wanted to. "If I may, what world are you from and is it also infected with the Heartless? Or has it, too, been swallowed by those miserable creatures?" If there was still a chance... Perhaps he could pay a visit.