Hey, guys! Here's the shout outs:

Celeron96: Well, Jack is Light, remember. Those two don't mix well. It's supposed to mean that Jack is losing control of his mind.

Shadowdragon1317: Thanks, and I tried!

13TheAce: It's not the Jack part of Jack that is using Darkness. The Light part of Jack is being pushed down by something else…

TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Lol, it's you! You better decide to use it, or I'll send Mist and Marek after you! (Jack and Jason are busy) Lol, jk.

You know what I own.

Chapter 9: A Fork in the Road

As they sped through the Lanes Between, Jack repeatedly clutched his head in pain. "Are you alright?" Terra finally asked. Jack nodded after a minute, but Terra noticed one of his eyes was now yellow. The other one was flickering constantly. "Jack, you don't look alright." he prodded.

"I'm fine, Terra!" he suddenly yelled. Terra stared at him in shock. Jack looked in front of him and gasped. A figure clad in darkness flew past them, heading for an unknown world.

"That has to be one of Marek's allies! Let's get him!" Jack exclaimed. Terra shook his head.

"Jack, they need us in Twilight Town!" he protested. Jack ignored him and followed the figure. Terra lurched out of the way as another figure came flying past him. He saw this one was holding a lance. "Kain!" he called out. Kain turned in mid-air and nodded.

"That is Golbez! We must follow him!" he explained. Terra sighed, but followed them down to the planet.

UNKNOWN PLANET...

They dismissed their riders and looked around. They were in a small clearing surrounded by tall grass. Terra looked at Kain. "What is this place?" he asked him. Kain looked around.

"This is the Crossroads. There are two ways forward, and no way back." he explained. Jack snorted.

"That's ridiculous." he said as he leaped into the air. As he reached ten feet up, he hit an electrical barrier and fell back to the ground.

"The purpose of this world is to show the nature of one's heart." Kain told them. Jack grunted angrily as he stood back up.

Golbez appeared in front of them. "So, I see you are all unscathed." he greeted. Jack summoned his Keyblade angrily, but Kain told him to lower it.

"Golbez, have you come to fight?" he asked. Golbez chuckled. His entire body was covered in dark armor, and a black cape hung from his back.

"Do not fear, my purpose here today is not to fight." he told them. Kain nodded.

"If Illusion wins this war, he will destroy the worlds. Is that truly what you desire?" he asked him. Golbez shook his head in empathy.

"The worlds will neither be destroyed, nor will they disappear. You see, Illusion does not wish for the end. He wishes for the beginning. When he and Jack clash, they will forge the true X-blade, and Illusion plans to use that to restore balance to the worlds. I merely stand at his side in an attempt to save Cecil." Golbez explained. Jack ran forward.

"If you want what we want, then tell me where Mist is!" he demanded angrily. Golbez looked at him for a second, before throwing his hand out toward Jack. Jack flew back, thunder having hit him in the face.

"I am not your ally, boy. Why don't you use these for a while? I have work to do." Golbez said angrily. He summoned several dozen Specters and vanished. Kain ran forward as two paths through the grass opened up in front of them.

"Now is the time, my friends. You must decide to head back to aid the others, or you must choose to continue on and hunt Illusion. Either way, you must choose quickly!" he explained as the Specters began to draw closer. Terra watched as the ghosts became images of Kain, with lance and all.

"Jack, we have to go back! The others need our help!" he begged Jack. Jack angrily looked at him, his flickering eyes boring into him.

"Mist needs me much more than they do. If you wish to betray me, then go. I must find her, and end my brother." he said as he began walking toward the left path. (The Threat, Dissidia 012)

"JACK!" screamed Terra pleadingly. Jack kept walking.

"You value their lives over Mist's life. I will not sacrifice her to save another." he replied as he disappeared down the path.

Terra watched in disbelief as his oldest friend ignored him and disappeared. A massive storm appeared over him and Kain. Kain held his lance out at the Specters resembling him and turned to Terra as it started to pour rain. "Go, Terra! Head for Twilight Town and save them!" he yelled. Terra stood up and backed down the right path.

"Kain…..!" he said slowly.

"I'll catch up after I deal with these!" he said firmly. Terra nodded and took off down the path and disappeared. Golbez reappeared in front of him.

"Why do you fight, Kain? There is little to no hope of your success. It is far too late for you to win." he said and vanished again. Kain smiled.

"Do you take me for a fool? I'm well aware of our position." he replied. He pointed his lance out at the waiting Specters. "Abominations, can you hear me? Do you even have minds of your own? If you are aware of the world around, you'd best rue the day you came here." he told them. He threw his lance out to his side and got into his battle pose. "I'm about to teach you pathetic mockeries the difference between you…..and a real man!" he yelled as he charged them.

MEANWHILE…..

Jack tore through the grass. The storm blew overhead. Lightning struck all around him as he sprinted down the path. Tornadoes began to appear all over the place, and he could hear sounds of fighting far behind him. He slid to a stop through the mud as he saw a familiar figure waiting for him inside the wreckage of a destroyed building. He drew his Keyblade as he ran inside.

The roof of the building still stood, so the storm was somewhat suppressed as he stepped inside. He could feel Xehanort on the verge of taking control, but he ignored it in his anger. He looked at the hooded figure waiting for him and pointed Wanderer's Judgement at him.

"Show yourself, Marek!" he roared. The figure laughed, and it wasn't Marek's voice.

"Nope, wrong person, Sweetheart!" they said. The figure lowered their hood, and Jack gasped as he looked into the figure's yellow, darkness-filled eyes. They drew a pitch black sword and held it at the ready.

"Can you strike me down, Jackie?" asked Mist evilly as she looked at Jack in rage. (end the Threat)

*Beethoven music* You didn't see that one coming, did you! REVIEW and tell me what you think!