Ace looked out the window of his house, and took a deep breath. "Ah, the end of winter. A chance for new beginnings." He then looked at all the Winter Wrap Up crews working hard at their assigned tasks. "Looks like everyone's got their tasks handled." However, Ace's smile soon faded when he saw a familiar mass of purple mist hovering around town. "Ice?" Ace grabbed his jacket, and bolted out the door! Chasing after the mist! What's he doing back here?! Ace mentally panicked! It was bad enough he attacked when Nightmare Stinger showed up! Now he's decided to stir up some more trouble?! Ace skidded to a halt when he arrived at the edge of the Everfree Forest.
The mist Ace was chasing joined back with Dark Mist. "Hey there bro. Been a while." Dark Mist said with a smirk. "Gotta admit. Didn't think you and your band of wimps had what it took to blow away a nightmare warrior. But congrats all the same."
"What do you want Ice?" Ace asked sternly. "I'm pretty sure that you didn't come all the way over here just to congratulate me and my friends on our first victory."
Dark Mist rolled his eyes. "Jeez. Nothing's impossible for you to pick up on, huh? Fine then. See, my boss Night Terror's got a little bit of a grudge against you and your friends. But, he's totally cool with getting more people to join his crew. So that's why I'm here. To offer you a seat at the table." Dark Mist then extended his hand. "Mom and Dad said you were the smart one of us. So make the wise choice."
"I am." Ace replied sternly. "I'm choosing not to join you. One question's been bothering me ever since I found out what's become of you. Why are you doing this Ice?! What would our parents think of you?! What would Shadow think of you?!"
Dark Mist growled. "Why? WHY?! I'm doing this because I was tired of fear chaining my heart! Of the guilt that burdened me when I stood paralyzed with fear at the storm raging in front of us! Feeling absolutely worthless..."
"Ice..." Ace began. "It's not your fault! None of what happened that day was anyone's fault! Please, stop all of this! Let's go home! We can work this out together! Let me help you! I want to save you!"
Dark Mist glared at Ace. "Get it through your thick skull Ace. I'm not Dark Ice anymore. My name is Dark Mist!" An aura of darkness exploded around him! "AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO SAVE ME! SO STOP YOUR FOOLISH ATTEMPTS!"
"Saying that isn't going to stop me from trying Ice." Ace responded calmly. "The only foolish thing I could do is give up on you." At that moment, the mark on Ace's arm began to glow! Ace looked himself over, and saw rays of light beginning to manifest into objects! When the light faded, Ace had a green sword, red shield, and blue scarf! All modeled after the dragons on his mark! These must be my Duelist Arms! Ace soon snapped out of his amazement, and stared Dark Mist down! "I've made it clear where I stand. So come at me bro."
"RRRAAAUUUGGHHH!" Dark Mist charged at Ace as he transformed his right arm into a shadow claw! "You just couldn't make the easy choice, could you?! You HAD to say no to me! Now look what you've done! IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT ACE?! FOR US BROTHERS TO BE FIGHTING?!"
Ace raised his shield to block, and kept his calm demeanor in the face of Dark Mist's rage. "The only one who's led us to this point is you Ice. You started when you decided to join the Nightmare Forces. That was the choice that turned us against each other." Ace then slashed Ice across the chest! But instead of shadowy essence escaping, light came out of where Dark Mist had been slashed! "Deep down, I know that my brother's still in there. He's just scared and alone. But I can't make him wake up if he doesn't want to. All of this is because you took the easy path Ice. Not the right one. You've let your fear consume you, and now you're trying to inflict that same fear on others. You don't have any power over it. Instead, it's gained greater power over you. But I don't hate you, or think any less of you for your choice Ice." Ace's gaze held great sorrow. "I feel sorry for you Ice. Sorry that I didn't even try to stop you."
"Shut up. SHUT UP. SHUT UP!" Dark Mist screamed as he fired an orb of darkness at Ace! Ace's scarf turned into a pair of dragon wings that blew Dark Mist's attack right back at him! "AAGGHH!" Dark Mist was sent crashing into a tree by his own attack! "This isn't over Ace..." Dark Mist growled as he picked himself up and shook the snow off of himself. "I swear. We will be meeting again soon. And when we do, you'll either wise-up and join me or die with those pathetic friends of yours."
Ace kept a calm face. "Or I'll kick you ass like I did today. And like my friends did with Nightmare Stinger." But as Dark Mist teleported away, a single tear from Ace's eye. Even though we fought as kids, this is the first time you've really hurt me. Ace wiped away his tears, and headed back to Unityville. You're still running away Ice. Even when there's people with arms opened to you...
"Ace?" Tyrannus asked as he noticed Ace's Duelist Arms. "Did something happen out there? Was there another attack by the Nightmare Forces?!"
Ace shook his head. "It's nothing Ty. Just...processing some family issues." With that, Ace retreated to his house and threw himself onto his bed as he set his Duelist Arms against the wall. Now that I've got the tools for the job, I'm going to be seeing a lot more action. Ace then took out his old photo of himself and his brothers. And I'm going to need to get stronger if I ever want to get back what I once had!