The Test of the Spirit
With their latest trial in the Contest of Champions now complete, our heroes were now but a stone's throw away from earning their promised reward. However, before they could continue; they chose to take a quick and well-deserved break to ease their aching heads. After pushing their minds to the brink of burning out, Gabriel granted them a small respite before they could continue.
At this time, they were seated together with their friends and family; sampling some of the apple cider that Edric had earlier and they found it satisfying. "Man, this stuff tastes good" Luffy sighed loudly, "maybe I should talk Nami into planting some small apple bushes somewhere on the ship, when we get back." The other lads chuckled softly at him and informed the young pirate that apples didn't grow on bushes.
"He's right, Luffy" Robin stated, "they grow on trees and even though our ship is quite big, it can't support a large apple tree." Luffy couldn't help but frown heavily, upon hearing this news; thinking that this was Fate's way of "screwing him over" (as his mind would put it.) "Do not despair, young Master" Serafina said kindly while approaching him, "the apple orchards in Gabriel's village have more than enough apples to share with you and your crew members."
Not long after this was said, Sanji added that they would later try to pick up any fresh apples they could find; once they'd return to their world and went back to the sea. "However, I have one condition on this idea" he announced, "we can get the apples...as long as you don't eat all of them or drink any and all of the cider we might make all at once, deal?" After taking another swig from his cup, Luffy chuckled softly at his chef with a smile and shook his hand; solidifying their agreement.
Afterwards, they were soon approached by the Shadowmanes; who all appeared to have rather stoic looks upon their faces. "Hey, guys...uh, why the long faces" Beast Boy inquired, "did something bad happen or..." In an instant, Gabriel's face brightened slightly; as he offered up a small smile to the heroes.
"I can assure you, my friends; I am quite fine" he stated, "I just wished to inform you that your final trial shall be starting soon." Understandably, this bit of news caused our heroes to cheer loudly and click their drinking cups together in salute; even their loved ones couldn't help but laugh a little. But their joy quickly faded, when Thaylog raise his hand.
"While we applaud your enthusiasm, you must understand one thing" he said firmly, "the final trial is the most difficult one you will face; more so than your bout with the Gryphon not too long ago." This caused everyone to groan loudly, not just in annoyance but also disbelief. "Are you freakin' serious with us here, Gabe" Luffy growled, "what could possibly be harder than fighting a giant monster or climbing a mountain without our powers?!"
The Elf Prince simply smiled at him and said that in time, everything would be revealed to them. "For now, enjoy this brief respite" he insisted kindly, "you will need your full mental, physical and emotional strength for the final test." Despite the mildly cryptic tone behind Gabriel's, the lads adhered to his advice and decided to enjoy as much of their time out as possible.
(Scene Change: The Coliseum of Zeru)
After feeling refreshed and having their fill of cider, our young champions were ready to begin their final trial. Much to their surprise, they found themselves being led back into the coliseum; the same place where they battled the gryphon not too long ago. "Okay...I'm a bit confused here" Steven murmured, "why did you bring us back here, of all places?"
With a soft smile upon his face, King Thaylog felt that the arena was the perfect locale for the final trial. "You will require a great deal of space to undergo this challenge" he stated, "thus, the Zeruvian Coliseum is just the place for it." Alas, this explanation simply left the lads feeling more confused than before.
But just as they were prepared to raise some concerns to King Thaylog, he and his family were already making their way up the stairs to the same skybox area they sat in before; leaving the boys behind at the entrance. For a moment or so, they stood perfectly still; unsure if they should go forward or not. "Well, fellas...we made it" Danny murmured sheepishly, "after almost dying at the claws of a Gryphon, getting lost in a cave, falling from a mountain and frying our brains from a riddle game...we've reached the final trial."
The rest of the lads couldn't help but chuckle softly with pride. But all too quickly, their laughter died down and a wave of doubt soon flowed through them. "No time for laughing now, guys" Steven said firmly, "something in my bones...even my gem tells me that this last challenge could prove dangerous.
The others reacted to this news in different ways; some swiped the sweat from their brows, others gulped down a nervous lump within their throats. Whatever awaited them in the arena might be far more harrowing than what their previous challenges. But as they looked upon one another, each lad gave a firm look of determination, silently vowing that they would stand together.
With that thought in mind, they entered through the door and out into the center of the arena. The moment they did, the lads were welcomed by the thunderous sounds of cheers and applause. All around them, the many creatures and peoples of this world were going mad with delight at the sight of the young heroes.
Among those cheering were their friends and family, some of whom were saluting them with makeshift signs saying things like "go for it" or "rock on." Steven couldn't help but chuckle at this; deep down, he knew Garnet must've had a hand in making the signs. Elsewhere, Danny could see Ember revving up her side of the stands with a musical ballad; which confused quite a few of the people beside her.
In another part of the stands; Usopp and Chopper were joining Franky in his "Super Pose," which made Luffy chuckle a little. But what truly stood out was Connie, who was both cheering and giving Steven a heart-shaped hand gesture. This caused the other five lads to chuckle slyly under their breath, much to their comrade's chagrin.
"Well, well, well...looks like Steven's got himself a fangirl" Beast Boy said slyly, "tell us, dude; are you two...you know..." This inquiry caused the poor hybrid's face to flush a deep red, which only made the answer more obvious. "Hey, dude; you're not the only one with a special lady cheering for ya" Danny chuckled, "have a look see over at 'Team Phantom's' section."
As the boys' eyes fell upon the aforementioned part of the stands, they spotted Sam; who had decorated her face slightly with black and white face-paint. It didn't take long for them to realize that she was sporting Danny's uniform colors. Needless to say, the point had been made and they couldn't help but smile.
In another spot where the Hyperforce sat, they were waving their own makeshift signs in the air. At the same time, several of the Shuggazoom citizens were roaring loud praises down at Chiro. But none sounded louder than Jinmay, who was waving a pair of fans in a cheerleading motion.
"Go for it, babe; you're almost there" she exclaimed towards Chiro, "we believe in you!" Upon seeing these three ladies cheering for their comrades, it made Beast Boy and Artha feel somewhat envious. Meanwhile, Luffy simply chuckled happily while waving up at his crew.
"You don't seem all that bummed, dude" murmured the young changeling, "don't you want a lady's favor to give you luck on the trial?" Luffy blinked softly in confusion for a few seconds and tilted his head, indicating that he was feeling confused. "C'mon, dude; you know what we mean" Artha groaned, "isn't there a special lady you want cheering you on?"
After hearing these words, Luffy let out a loud and joyful laugh; which left the others feeling slightly confused. "Of course I've got a lady cheering me on" he assured, "actually, I've got two of 'em; right up there." As he gestured up at the stands, everyone could see Nami and Robin shouting down at him.
Because of the otherwise uproarious nature of the crowd's cheering, the other five lads could barely hear them. But thanks to Beast Boy's sensitive ears, he could clearly hear Nami shouting things like "you're almost there...DON'T SCREW UP" or "DON'T LET US DOWN" to Luffy. "If that's how she cheers for him, I wonder what she does when she heckles Luffy" Beast Boy thought, "needless to say, it sounds like the opposite of what Connie's doing."
All around them; the crowd cheered, roared and chanted their names uproariously. In each of their respective worlds, the lads had heard a fair amount of praise sent their way. But hearing it from this many people was quite surprising, to say the least.
Not wishing to appear rude, they walked out to the middle of the arena while waving or laughing happily at the crowd. This continued for a few more moments until at last, Kings Thaylog and Zaid rose from their seats and raised their hands; bringing the cheers to an end. Once the atmosphere went silent, they gazed down at the six champions-to-be and smiled.
"The people have good reason to cheer for you, lads" Zaid said with pride, "you have shown us all great skills, up to now throughout each of the trials." While the centaur's words were true, the lads couldn't help but murmur bashfully; proclaiming that what they accomplished "wasn't anything that special." "Ah...That is where you are wrong" Thaylog said firmly, "without the use of your powers, you have shown all of us that you are strong both of body and mind."
While the other Straw Hats agreed to the Elvish lord's words, they "feared" that all the praise would go to their captain's head; if not the others'. But in reality; while he relished in everyone's cheers, he showed no signs of a "showboating" attitude or tried to place everyone's attention squarely upon himself. Instead, Luffy made sure every one of his comrades got their fair share of the cheers.
Truthfully, it was Beast Boy who was milking the attention for all it was worth; something that even Raven couldn't help but giggle at. For him, this behavior was expected; everyone knew how much he desired the attention of others. But neither she nor everyone else had time to contemplate on this for very long.
After sharing the last of his praises to the boys on their success, King Thaylog swiftly became rather stoic; which surprised everyone. "You've done well against the first five trials, gentlemen" he stated, "but now, we come to the most important one of them all...testing your spirits." Understandably so; the boys found themselves either tilting their heads or scratching their chins in confusion, upon hearing these words.
Their collective friends and families fared no better in trying to understand what the king said. As if sensing their confusion, Thaylog gazed down upon the six champions and elaborated further on the nature of their final trial. "For this test, you will be asked to partake in one final fight" he stated, "you shall battle...yourselves!"
Alas, this proclamation left the poor lads feeling more confused than they were before. "So...hold on a minute" Steven interjected, "are you saying you want us to fight each other, after having us spend so much time working together?" The Crystal Gems, the Diamonds, Lars' crew and even Steven's father shouted out the same concerns he had towards the kings.
But all too quickly, Thaylog called for silence and urged for the people to let him finish. "The Test of the Spirit is the single most important trial any hero of any realm must face" he explained, "in this trial, a champion is tasked to face the mirror." With a soft grunt in his throat, Luffy tilted his head slightly and looked all around the arena...but found no sign of any mirrors.
When he brought this up to the crowd, the Shadowmane Family couldn't help but chuckle. "There is now actual mirror used, Master Luffy" Gabriel snickered, "my father speaks of a more...spiritual mirror." Before any of the young lads could voice their confusion, King Thaylog looked out at the crowd and began to divulge into the true nature of their final test.
To walk the path of knighthood, one's spirit must be strong and unyielding. This required many things; including a compassionate spirit, a strong resolve, an equally strong sense of honor and above all, discipline. Of course, the mere mention of the final aspect caused several within the crowd to burst out laughing. "If you're lookin' for discipline from any of these boys, you're crazy" Raven murmured, "Steven seems...okay, I suppose but the others are another matter."
Beast Boy couldn't help but growl lightly at his teammate for this small jab at his expense. While this might've been another example of Raven's signature "dry Goth humor;" over the years he lived with/fought beside her, he had been on the receiving end of it far too often. At the same time; Team Phantom, the Straw Hats, the Penn Racing team and even some members of the Hyperforce expressed similar doubts about their friends' having any discipline of their own.
As a result; like Beast Boy, the other champions couldn't help but feel mildly frustrated as well. This did not go unnoticed by the Shadowmanes; who, through the use of their magic, silenced everyone with a thunderous clap of their hands. Once all was quiet, once again; the elf king urged our heroes not to pay any mind to their jeers.
"Agreed...Thus far, gentlemen; you have proven to our people you are far stronger and wiser than others assume" Queen Elbenor stated, "now, we shall see if you are able to conquer yourselves." With a disgruntled groan, Luffy jabbed his finger up towards the skybox and demanded to know the meaning behind the elves' words. "The answer is simple" Gabriel replied calmly, "do you recall the symbols we placed upon your necks at the beginning?"
Against their better judgment, each of the lads rubbed their hands slightly over their necks. Upon doing so, they felt a soft yet warm sensation against their palms. This indicated that the aforementioned marks were still in place, which meant their powers were still nullified.
"Yup, they're still here" Danny murmured, "but what do these rune marks have to do with any..." Gabriel quickly yet respectfully silenced the ghost boy, before he could finish his sentence. Afterwards, he went on to reveal something he had seen within the tomes describing each of the lads' exploits.
"With each battle you've had, you have shown all of us great skills" Gabriel stated, "but...I also sensed something else within you during these events." Without a second thought; the Elf Prince revealed all the darkness the young champions had been subjected to; their anger, their frustration, their anguish and most troubling of all, their pain. "To become a true knight and to overcome your enemies, you must first overcome yourselves" King Thaylog announced, "and there is only one way to do so."
With that said, he and his family loudly shouted out a series of Elvish words. This in turn caused the lads' marks upon their necks to glow brightly. At the same time; they also felt a strong, painful sensation run through their bodies.
It was as if they were being burned alive from the inside. Overtime, each of the lads soon fell to their knees and clutched at their necks painfully; all while wailing in agony. "STOP IT! Stop it, you're hurting them" Connie pleaded desperately, "what are you even doing?!" The Shadowmanes offered no reply, they remained firmly focused on harnessing the magic for whatever spell they were using on the boys.
Of course, some saw this as a sign of disrespect and they demanded that the elves answered Connie's plea. "What is the meaning of this" Yellow Diamond seethed, "the young lady just asked you a question...ANSWER HER!" Once more, the Shadowmanes remained focused on their task; while the lads continued crying out in pain.
But just as the Diamonds appeared ready to stop them; they were halted by the horrified shrieks of their Pearls, Dani, Starfire, Jinmay and Lance. When everyone looked down at what the screamers saw, they could not believe their eyes. "There's...There's some sort of black substance coming out from their necks" Parm stammered fearfully, "but how...what is it?"
Sadly, everyone felt just as baffled as he did; which made the matter all the more troubling. Then, just as the situation couldn't be any more confusing; the High Mystics waved their staves high and a strange barrier suddenly appeared. "Do not be alarmed, everyone" Edric stated, "this barrier is solely for your protection."
This left the crowd feeling even more confused, many wondering what exactly they needed protection from. "You will see" Serafina said stoically, "very soon, you will all see." After taking a moment to shake off the eerie chill they felt from the mystic's words, everyone's eyes gazed down at the arena floor.
For what felt like ages, they watched their friends suffer while the odd substance continued to seep out of them. Then, at that moment; a startling phenomenon began to occur. Soon, the odd substance started to grow larger in size; becoming almost as or slightly larger than the boys themselves.
Then, it broke apart into six separate halves; each one floating over towards their respective hosts. As the boys slowly started to recover from the ordeal, they opened their eyes weakly and saw the clouds of blackness hovering before them. Then, mere seconds later; these "clouds" slowly began to reshape their forms.
Everyone watched as the shadowy masses slowly formed their limbs and bodies. Then, in an instant; they could see faces forming on the "heads of the shadow forms. Eventually, the metamorphosis had come to an end and the shadows appeared to have become frozen solid; like statues.
No one dared to speak a word, after that; fearing that doing so might cause something terrible to happen. Then, just as everyone thought it was all over; something else started to happen to the "statues." Soon, cracks started to appear along their bodies; indicating that whatever was inside was ready to break free.
The cracks spread out farther along the bodies, causing more and more bits of the black forms to chip away. Then, the statues started moving their arms slightly; trying to wriggle themselves out of their prisons. "Okay...this is getting weird here" Luffy mumbled, "just what exactly is going..."
Before he could finish his question, the statues each gave a sudden thrust of their chests; causing bits and pieces of their shadowy "chrysalises" to fly about everywhere. Alas, the lads weren't quick enough to block all this, which resulted in them being repeatedly struck in the face before they were sent flying onto their backs. Upon recovering from it all, seconds later; the young heroes were met with a most startling surprise.
The "statues" had disappeared and in their place stood six strange figures; each one bearing a sort of grim and monsterous look. For a moment or two, not one of the lads knew what to make of these strangers. But up in the stands; after looking them over intently, their friends and family came to a horrific conclusion.
"How...How can this be" the Rutile Twins said in unison, "those people look...just like our friends!" After taking a moment to recover from their initial shock (as well as taking a second look,) everyone realized that the conjoined Gem was right; the boys and these strange doubles looked nearly the same. But there were quite a few (and rather shocking differences.)
To start with, while Danny's double still possessed his costume; his eyes were blood red, his skin was a pale green, his hair flowed like a raging flame, his ears were pointed and he appeared to have fangs. On top of all this, the double also appeared much older than Danny. He also had a long cape/cloak fluttering behind him in the breeze.
Next came Beast Boy's double; like Danny's, this one also possessed blood-red eyes. But his skin was an ashy white, his hair was as grey as a tombstone and everyone could clearly see the sharp claws on the tips of his fingers and toes. Luffy's double, meanwhile looked like something from out of a hellish nightmare.
His skin was as white as a ghost, his trademarked jacket was a bloody shade of red, his pants and sandals were black as pitch and he wore a white sash around his waist. But perhaps, the most haunting thing about this double was his eyes. The white part (or sclera) of his eyes were as dark as his pants and the only color that could be seen were a pair of blood-red dots at the center of them.
Next was Chiro's, who looked more like a sort of ape-human hybrid than a full human. Its body looked emaciated, it had a primate's mouth, shaggy black fur on his face and body, a disheveled tail, fangs as sharp as knives and big, bulbous blue eyes. To scientific thinkers like Maddie and Jack Fenton, they compared the double's appearance to a primitive subspecies of human.
Next came Artha's double, which was something that no one knew how to properly describe. It had Artha's build, his face and his smile...but its body had an unnatural mix of black and purple colors. "Oh, scales" Cain gasped fearfully, "that thing looks like he's made from pure Black Draconium!"
Upon hearing the word "draconium," everyone suddenly felt a chill run through their spines; proclaiming it to be something "evil." "Draconium is not as evil as you think" Connor stated, "truthfully, it is a form of mineral that exists on my world; one that possesses great power to help strengthen both dragons and their riders." While the explanation was rather informative, it did not dispel the fears everyone felt about "Black" Draconium.
"Actually, it's referred as such because mostly Black Dragons are known to use such a draconium type" Parm said suddenly, "it...also has a reputation for twisting the minds of whatever dragon or human uses it after prolonged exposure." The moment he said all this; Amethyst, Usopp, Tucker and even Raven gave him a sort of "I told you so" stare.
But they soon realized that they were becoming distracted and quickly brought their attention back to the arena. The last doppelganger to appear was Steven's and it was a monstrous looking thing, to say the least. While it still appeared to be wearing his trademarked jacket, black t-shirt with the gold star and blue jeans; the creature was as tall as Bismuth, its skin was a dark purple, it had dragon-like hands and feet, horns atop his head, tusks on both sides of his mouth and a long tail.
For a moment or two, no one had spoken a word; not even the champions themselves said anything. Then, White Diamond scratched her head and presented a simple yet understandable question; "what the...who or what in the stars are you supposed to be?" The moment he said this, however; the doubles turned towards giant maiden and growled at her viciously.
"Don't be an idiot, lady" growled Danny's double, "isn't it obvious...we're them!" Upon seeing the creature gesturing at the boys, it made everyone feel even more confused. "But...that can't be" murmured the Box Ghost, "if you guys are them...then, who are they supposed to be?"
His frustrations boiling over, the Danny double growled in annoyance and proclaimed that the originals were still themselves; despite both groups looking the same. Needless to say, no one in the audience enjoyed hearing his disrespectful tone. "That's enough" Jazz exclaimed, "my brother may act hostile on occasion but he's never as rude as...whatever you are!"
Once more, everyone demanded to know the identities of the strange doubles; which only caused them to laugh at their naivety. "Don't you get it, we are your boys" Steven's double hissed, "or at least...we're what your boys all struggle to keep inside of them!" Sadly, this only seemed to make everyone feel even more confused; especially the lads themselves.
As if sensing their confusion, Luffy's double smiled cruelly and decided to offer up an explanation. "We are the embodiment of all your boys' darkest parts" he declared, "for years, we've existed deep within those bastards; growing stronger year after year, while the world continued to screw them over at every turn!" To say that the creature's words shocked everyone would be a gross understatement.
It was here that Thaylog chose to offer up an explanation, albeit a clearer and more respectable one. "These beings before us are the embodiment of all the negative emotions within the champions" he proclaimed, "their anger, their frustration and most of all...their hatred." This news made the crowd feel even more terrified and confused than before.
"Now that we're free, we've got a lifetime's worth of payback to dish out" Beast Boy's double shouted, "and we're gonna start with you six fuckers!" With that said, the doubles quickly leapt into action. Thankfully, the lads were able to see weapons hanging on the walls of the arena and quickly armed themselves.
With weapons and shields in hand, the lads readied themselves for whatever their doppelgangers might throw at them. The first to strike was Danny's double; who plucked a sword from the wall and proceeded to slash at his host with it. Thankfully, Danny managed to dodge almost every strike...almost.
Then, just as he felt that he had the upper hand; Dark Danny gave his sword a hard swipe and sliced the original across his right side. The wound wasn't very deep, thankfully but it still hurt Danny like hell. This sight caused those among Team Phantom to gasp in alarm, hoping their hero was okay.
Meanwhile, Beast Boy made a charge for his double; poised to strike him with his war mace. But at the near last second, the dark Beast Boy swiped his leg across the sand; creating a large cloud of dust. As a result, it blew into the changeling's face; resulting in him becoming temporarily blinded.
This gave Dark Beast Boy the opportunity he needed to strike. With near lightning-fast reflexes, the doppelganger lunged forward and slammed his foot hard against his host's chest; sending him skidding across the sand. The poor lad coughed violently in pain while also rubbing at his eyes, trying desperately to recover from his assault.
Upon seeing his host in such a pitiful state, Dark Beast Boy cackled fiendishly like a childish prankster. "Bet that really hurt, didn't it" he asked snidely, "figured you'd be used to this kind of pain...being your team's whipping post and all." Despite the pain still lingering in his eyes and in his chest, the original Beast Boy glared at his double and picked himself up from the dirt.
Dirty, sore and frustrated; the young meta-teen summoned all the strength he had to charge his double. "I'm just getting started, freako" he shouted loudly, "I'll show you whose a whipping post!" Despite the ferocity in his words, Beast Boy's double only gave a bored yawn; which made him feel even angrier.
Meanwhile, Luffy was making his own charge towards his double; thinking it would end as quickly as any of his other fights. Then, much to everyone's surprise; when Luffy's double first attacked, he struck the original with a full-on Jet Pistol strike. Then, just as Beast Boy was ready to hurry over and help him; his doppelganger suddenly rammed into him in the form of a woolly rhinoceros.
The attack sent him skidding across the sand before crashing hard against one of the side walls. Thankfully, though; he did not appear injured. "Thank goodness Gabe let us put on armor before this trial" Beast Boy thought, "otherwise...I would've been shish kabob."
As he dusted himself off, the changeling's ears echoed with the sounds of rants from the crowd. "What the...WHAT THE HELL" cried Usopp, "how is it that the double still has powers when Luffy doesn't?" With a cruel smile upon his face, the Luffy double proclaimed that he'd never willingly let himself become as weak as his crew.
As expected, this insult highly offended the other Straw Hats; especially Usopp. "Why do you seem so shocked, everybody" Steven's double stated, "my 'friend' here is just speaking the truth...something his host could never do!" While recovering from the earlier punch, Luffy overheard what the creature said and proclaimed he'd never speak ill of his crew.
"Maybe not out loud...but you do on the inside" Dark Luffy snickered, "you think Sanji's a disgusting perv who hoards all the food for the ladies, that Chopper is a mangy freak of nature, that Robin would happily sit back and watch you all die (if it happened) and that Nami always dresses and acts like a whore wherever she goes!" Each remark sent their way felt like a painful blow to the Straw Hat crew...save for one, Sanji.
The moment he heard his captain (or this version of him) call Nami a whore, the chef's eyes flared red and he gave him a shark-like sneer. "Nobody insults Nami-swan and gets away with it" he shouted, "not even my captain!" Feeling uintimidated by his chef's words, Dark Luffy simply chuckled and gave him a sort of "bring it on" gesture.
Feeling frustrated by all this, Luffy charged his double with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. He rammed his shield hard against his double, sending the fiend flying back slightly. But unfortunately, it didn't seem to do much in hurting him. "What's wrong, rubber-brain" the dark double said smugly, "can't you fight without your powers?"
After this, he took another jab at his host's pride by saying that Ace was always superior to Luffy; long before either of them gained their special abilities. "Yeah, so...my brother might've been stronger than me" the original Luffy grumbled, "what does that have to do with anything?!" Sensing that he was starting to get under his host's skin, Luffy's double went on to claim that such a flaw spoke volumes about his character.
"You can't fight, you can't navigate, you can't cook even to save your life...you're barely able to keep your crew of rejects in check" he cackled, "so, why are you even still here?" While not spoken outright, the statement seemed to imply that Luffy should be dead by now; considering how much of a supposed "failure' he was at being a captain/pirate. All this seemed to do was cause Luffy to become even angrier; resulting in him fighting in a less focused manner.
"C'mon, dude; don't let that creep get under your skin" Sam called out, "he's just distracting you!" Not long after, everyone else began shouting the same thing. But alas, all it seemed to do was cause the lads to become dangerously unfocused.
As a result, this left the six of them exposed enough for their doubles to deliver a series of swift yet painful blows. At one point; "Corrupted Steven" managed to slash the original across the face with his claws, leaving a vicious mark upon his right cheek. In spite of the pain, however; Steven simply growled at his doppelganger in anger.
"What's wrong, clod; are you gonna cry for Mommy" Corrupted Steven snickered, "oh, wait; that's right...you don't have one anymore!" While this was a truly low blow of a statement, it bothered Steven only a little. "Typical...even after all this time, you're still clinging on to your hate for Rose/Pink" Corrupted Steven sneered, "GET OVER YOURSELF ALREADY!"
Infuriated by these insults, Steven took hold of his shield and threw it at his double; hoping it would hit him. But unfortunately; unlike his own shield, this one was much heavier by comparison. As a result; even after throwing it with all his might, the shield only flew halfway before crashing into the sand.
"Wow, you really are a failure" Corrupted Steven chortled, "you can't even fight right as a human, let alone a Crystal Gem." After making this insult, he and the rest of the doubles wasted no time in attacking their hosts. Everyone watched in horror; as bits of clothing, hair and even small droplets of blood flew about the air like leaves in the breeze.
Then, Steven's doppelganger struck his fist hard against his host's arm; almost breaking it. This and the sound of cracking bones not only made the Crystal Gems cringe but the Diamonds as well. Meanwhile, the members of Team Phantom tried to remain strong; in spite of seeing their friend and hero being beaten senselessly.
"C'mon, Danny; get the lead out and fight" Valerie shouted, "you can clearly take this guy!" Upon hearing her voice, Dark Danny glared upward at her spot in the stands and blasted an ecto beam her way; only for the barrier to block it (thankfully.) "You are the last person I want to hear encouragement from, Grey" he hissed angrily, "I've put up with you saying I ruined your life for years...when you've been the one that's actually ruined mine!"
Without hesitation; he revealed every humiliation, every indignity, every injury he suffered at the young ghost huntress' hands. As expected, it left everyone feeling rather horrified; especially Dani (who saw Valerie as a sort of friend and confidant.) "Young lady, is all this true" questioned Maddie in disbelief, "if so, I'm going to have a long discussion with your father about this!"
Rather than appreciate her defense, Dark Danny immediately cried "bullshit" to it and proclaimed that Maddie was no better. But not before stealing his host's shield and slamming him in the head with it. "You and that fat lardo you call a husband are no better than Grey, you cow" he shouted, "have you forgotten all the moments you vowed to 'destroy me,' 'dissect me'...or 'tear me apart, molecule by molecule?'"
To say that the people's of Overon were horrified by this reveal would be a gross understatement. Truthfully, they started to view Danny's parents as more of a pair of villains rather than Danny's caregivers. Upon seeing the shamed looks on his parents faces, Danny quickly retaliated by slashing his ax across his double's chest.
Sadly, Danny's doppelganger managed to dodge his strike before he could do any real damage to it. But he did managed to leave behind a rather nasty scar, which spread down from Dark Danny's left pec to his right hip. Dark Danny ran his hand slightly across the mild wound, feeling the ectoplasmic blood touching sticking to his fingers.
With a fierce glare in his eyes, the double pressed its soiled hand upon his chest; leaving behind a glowing green handprint and lunged at Danny like a hungry predator. Meanwhile, over on the eastern side of the arena floor; Chiro was doing all he could to battle his own doppelganger. But with every move, every blow and every strike he tried to deliver; it managed to dodge every one of them.
At the same time, the double managed to counter its host's strikes with a few well-aimed punches or claw slashes. Truth be told; many believed that Chiro wasn't fighting a human at all but rather, an animal. All the same, these same people felt the lad could easily best such an abomination but Gabriel revealed the one thing Dark Chiro had over his host.
"The being may look like a beast...but it has the mind of a human" he said grimly, "not just any sort of human, the mind of a mighty warrior." With this short yet grim reveal, everyone fully understood the severity of Chiro's situation; a beast that can fight with the cleverness and cunning of a sentient creature (like humans) is a dangerous idea. Still, many in the stands held on to the hope that Chiro would be victorious and urged him to fight with everything he had.
But try as he might, every move he made was swiftly countered or blocked by his doppelganger; which made Chiro all the more frustrated. Upon seeing its hosts eyes flare with anger, the creature simply cackled gleefully like a typical primate...before suddenly biting him on the arm. Despite however painful the attack was, Chiro did not scream; instead, he winced painfully and glared at his double with great intensity.
The monkey-human creature only smiled wickedly at this and gestured for its host to come at him with everything he had. Needless to say, this left the Hyperforce and others watching feeling quite confused; none more so than Jinmay. "I don't get it, all the other doubles have been talking up a storm with insults" she stated, "yet all this one's been doing is biting, clawing and snapping at him like...like an animal!"
No sooner had Jinmay said this, King Thaylog frowned at her slightly with worry and he urged the team to observe the battle more closely. Upon doing so; they soon noticed that the more his double attacked him like a beast, the angrier Chiro became. They also happened to notice that Chiro's eyes were becoming fiercer and more savage with every minor defeat he suffered.
In time, they all noticed that both beings were becoming more alike in behavior than they were before the battle began; which made the Monkey Team feel as though the chill of winter suddenly flowed through their half-organic/half robotic forms. "Do you see now, Monkey Team" murmured King Thaylog, "since he became your leader, Master Chiro has felt less and less human in nature; he fears the day may come where he might lose his humanity completely, if he continues to fight off evil the same way you do." As the skies suddenly echoed with the sounds of fierce primate screams, Antauri looked down at Chiro; who was desperately trying to use a spear to shield himself from the beast.
The instant he caught sight of the mild fear in the boy's eyes, a great sense of shame suddenly flowed through the silver primate. "I was only doing what was needed for the good of the people in the universe" he thought to himself, "I wanted Chiro to be ready to help us defend others...does he not understand that?" Whether it was by Fate or mere coincidence; in response to this mental inquiry, Antauri suddenly heard the sounds of something sharp piercing through flesh.
This was then followed by the sounds of Chiro screaming in pain, which caused every member of the Hyperforce to rush towards the railing to see what had happened. There, they Chiro's doppelganger gnawing its sharp teeth deep into the lad's shoulder; mere inches away from his very neck. This coupled with the sounds of Chiro's pained screams filled the Hyperforce with great dread.
But in spite of it all, they did their best to cheer their leader and friend on as confidently as they were able. "C'mon, kid; you can do this" Sparx shouted, "if you can hold your own against a bunch of dumb monkeys like us, you can surely beat this joker!" Although she didn't quite approve of her friend's choice of words, Nova sided with him on reminding Chiro just how strong he truly was.
But alas, even with all of their encouragement and Jinmay professing her belief in him, the lad still found it difficult to fight his double. The creature was far too fast, too strong and above all, too fierce in its drive for victory; compared to him. As he tried to plunge the tip of his spear straight through the creature's chest; it, much to the young lad's shock, swung its feet up from the ground and snatched the weapon away in its left paw.
It chattered and hooted wildly with glee before turning the spearhead back towards its host and proclaiming "my turn." With these short yet simple words, he lunged the weapon forward and slashed the spearhead across his Chiro's side; leaving a deep gash behind. This caused the lad to fall on his knees in pain, allowing the human/monkey hybrid to deliver a flurry of mighty blows.
When the assault had ended, Chiro fell onto the sand; viciously beaten and wracked with pain. Meanwhile, Artha was desperately trying to survive against his own double (whom he later dubbed the Dark Booster.) But its skills with a staff were far greater than his own, which were fueled by the Dark Booster's hatred for its host.
As Artha tried to block his double's next strike, the Dark Booster's eyes began to flare with black energy. Then, after it bellowed out a fierce battle cry; the doppelganger blasted Artha square in the chest with something Connor called "mag energy." The strike sent Artha skidding across the arena floor and it left him quite singed...but he was still very much alive.
"Just give up and lie there, Stable Brat" the Dark Booster said snidely, "you're a pathetic mess...always were and always will be." Sensing that the battle was turning against them, the crowd started desperately urging for the champions to get back up and fight. "Yes, friends; you must get back up" Starfire shouted, "you can defeat your Clorbag doppelgangers, I know you can!"
Upon hearing her use her alien slur term, the dark version of Beast Boy shifted into a Tyrannosaur and roared viciously at Starfire. The sound of said roar echoed so loudly, everyone held their ears shut in pain; even the other doppelgangers. When Dark Beast Boy shifted back to normal, his glare remained fixed upon Starfire; his teeth gnashing bitterly.
"You think you can hurt me again with that word, ya worthless troq...think again" it growled ferociously, "I won't take guff from an alien slave whore like you anymore!" In that moment, Starfire didn't know which slur hurt her the most; the the alien one or the Earther one. Either way, she refused to believe that such coarse language would come from her own friend's mouth.
"Yeah, you heard me" Dark Beast Boy shouted while slashing at the original, "after all these years you've spent on Earth, you're still dumber than a sack of dirty diapers!" From here, the dark double decided to rub more salt into Star's (metaphorical) wounds by referencing every instance she allegedly "betrayed" him. "You act like you're my friend when, in reality; you've been anything but that for years" he shrieked venomously, "you allow Robin to verbally abuse us, you allow Raven to physically abuse me and don't think I've forgotten about that 'Clorbag' thing or when you zapped me with your eye lasers!"
As expected, several dozen people within the crowd questioned the meaning behind the "Clorbag thing." But for those like the Hyperforce and the Gems, they already had a rather clear idea. "Although Princess Starfire's species is not known to our universe, I can deduce that...'Clorbag' must be a form of intergalactic slur" Gibson deduced, "in which case, Beast Boy may have sound reason to be cross."
Upon hearing all this, Starfire's eyes began to well up with tears and she was moments away from crying tears of shame. But Raven quickly stood up for her, proclaiming that Star had good reason for her insult. "All that started because of a stupid prank he was trying to pull on Cyborg" she announced, "but Star inadvertently got caught in the crossfire."
While this knowledge did shed some light on the situation, no one (outside of the Titans themselves) felt it was a valid excuse for Starfire to act in such a manner. Sadly, Dark Beast Boy was not quite finished with the young Tamaranean. "I've got a bit of a name for you myself, 'Princess'" he called out snidely, "back in Africa, they had a word for...things like you too."
While every fiber of her being told her not to, Starfire took in a nervous gulp and asked what the term was. "You, 'Princess' are nothing more than a tupu isyo na maana" Dark Beast Boy shrieked, "or to put it simply...you're a freak; a worthless, brain-dead freak!" That did it, being called "worthless" was painful enough on its own.
But after being called a freak on top of that, it reduced the poor girl to tears. Naturally, Robin was both horrified at seeing his lover cry and infuriated at his friend for his insults. "I don't know what's got into you, Beast Boy" he said through clenched teeth, "but if you don't stop this right now, consider yourself off the team!"
Alas; despite the harsh truth in the Boy Wonder's words, Dark Beast Boy remained undeterred. "What are you going to do, Bird Boy" he jeered venomously, "are you gonna put me in jail...or are you gonna try and kill me like the last few times?" This accusation caused everyone in the stands to gasp loudly in horror, which made the original Beast Boy shiver with fear.
Not wishing to see his friends suffer any further indignities, he took up a spear and charged forward; prepping to try and skewer his double as it attempted to do to him moments ago. But then, at the last moment; the Dark Beast Boy sharply turned and slashed his claws across his host's face. This not only sent him flying onto the sand, yet again but the double's claws left a rather hideous collection of bleeding scars on Beast Boy's face.
Everyone gasped in horror at the sight of the wound, several among the crowd did everything they could to keep from becoming nauseous. At the same time, Dark Beast Boy continued to relish in the pain he inflicted upon his host. "Now, stay down like a good boy" he snickered, "the grown ups are still talking."
Leaving the young hero to writhe in the sand, Dark Beast Boy looked up at the crowd and revealed several grim crimes committed against his host by the likes of the Titans. "The 'Clorbag' thing is just the tip of the iceberg, people" he hissed, "there's Raven's consistent abusive behavior, Cyborg's many attempts to force the kid into eating meat, the Doom Patrol's neglect/betrayal...and worst of them all, Robin attempting to kill the kid two times over!" Once finished, the Dark Beast Boy gazed up cruelly at the audience; who appeared on the verge of a conniption.
The jab at Beast Boy's vegetarianism was bad in itself (mostly to the Elven people and Sam) but hearing that Robin tried on two separate occasions to slay his own friend/teammate felt like an unspeakable crime. "That's just sick" Connie cried, "how could you and your team do such things to your own friend!?" Upon hearing the young lady speak, Corrupted Steven snarled viciously and decided to take the stage next.
"Don't you dare play the victim here, Maheswaran" he roared angrily, "you are no better than they are!" Without pause, the creature proceeded to reference the show of betrayal both Connie and Lion made towards Steven. "You and that filthy beast abandoned me" the double snarled, "you left me for weeks, leaving me to wallow in my regret...my anger; allowing my already present self-hatred to fester even more!"
These words cut through Connie like a knife, to say the least. At the same time, however; she tried to save face before the crowd by telling her side of the event. "I was upset with him, this is true" she stated, "but it was because he surrendered himself to Homeworld's troops, got taken off into space and...and..." Alas, her next few words went unheard; as Corrupted Steven continued to shout at her viciously.
Meanwhile, back with the original Steven; he found it rather difficult to get back up onto his feet. With his arm still store, his face stinging painfully from the claw wound and the blood still seeping out of said wound; he pushed himself up from the dirt and looked on towards his double. At first, it looked as though he was simply having a heated debate with Connie.
But as Steven looked up at the stands, he saw something that made his heart ache; tears in Connie's eyes. "You're just like the Gems, Maheswaran; you're nothing but trouble" Corrupted Steven growled, "all the shitty things that happened in my life...it's your fault, it's ALL YOUR FAAULLLT!" The instant he bellowed out the final word, a sonic blast poured out of his mouth.
Much to everyone's shock; the aforementioned blast then, somehow reshaped itself into a beam of energy. This beam was then sent on a direct course towards Connie, much to everyone's horror. "Everyone, relax; we're safe here" Peridot stated, "as long as that barrier holds up."
No sooner had she said all this, the sonic beam struck the Gems' side of the barrier and it appeared to be holding on strong. But when Corrupted Steven saw this, his anger grew stronger and he began to roar even louder. This in turn, caused the beam's power to grow more intensely until it managed to break through the barrier.
Connie could only look on in horror, as the beam drew ever closer to where she sat. But then, whether by chance or sheer luck; Lion quickly stood before her and took the full force of the beam. As a result, the beast was sent flying over the arena and fell hard onto the ground outside.
For a moment or so, it looked like Lion may have been killed from the blast; which was something none of the Gems or humans on Steven's side wished to see. But then, with all the strength he could muster; Lion pushed himself up onto his paws and gave a light roar to everyone above him. "Oh, thank the stars" Pearl sighed heavily, "I truly thought the attack would've killed him!"
Connie couldn't help but agree with her former teacher and shouted out her thanks to Lion for saving her. At the same time, however; she realized that if he hadn't stepped in the way, it would've been her flying out of the arena. Then, at that moment; the barrier quickly reappeared around the stands.
This time, it bore a deep blue coloring; which meant that this might be stronger than the earlier shield. Meanwhile, down in the arena; Corrupted Steven cursed loudly at his failure to kill Connie. "Oh, well; that beast took the blast for her instead" he chuckled, "as far as I'm concerned, that's..."
Before the creature had a chance to finish, Steven lunged forward and tackled him to the ground. Not long after, he proceeded to pelt his double's face with a flurry of punches. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO CONNIE" Steven shouted, "SHE WAS...IS OUR FRIEND, NO MATTER WHAT SHE'S DONE!"
Upon hearing the half-gem teen's words, Dark Danny burst out into a fit of mocking laughter. "Get with the program, kid...she's never cared about you" he said with a sneer, "she's just like my host's so-called 'friends;' someone who just uses you for your powers, so that they can feel 'special.'" Tucker gasped in horror at this claim and immediately cried out in protest along with Sam and Jazz.
"Try and prove me wrong, then" Dark Danny challenged, "you three name me one time you didn't coerce Danny into using his powers for your own gain...and I will take everything back." Just as the three teens were about to just that, they suddenly froze; feeling unsure of what to say next. As if he anticipated this, Dark Danny proceeded to list several instances where his "friends" coerced the original Danny into using his powers for their own interests.
"Taking over girls' bodies to score dates, scaring patrons out of a hummer sale lot...peeping into the Girls' Locker Room at school" he growled, "that's not even including Tucker the Fucker using me to further his own political image." While these accusations weren't quite as scathing as what Steven or Beast Boy's doubles presented, the crowd still found them rather questionable. "Oh, don't play the Victim Card with us here" Sam said scoldingly, "at least one of those moments was your doing!"
While there was a sliver of truth in the Goth teen's words, this was but one con in Danny's defense. Meanwhile, the other incidents he brought up were purely the fault of the team and the people of Amity Park. "All the kid wanted was a normal, decent life" Dark Danny fumed, "one that didn't involve him getting hurt, chased or persecuted by the world...BUT YOU JUST COULDN'T LET HIM HAVE THAT, MANSON; COULD YOU?!"
Just as his double was ready to blast Sam, much like what Steven's own did to Connie; Danny slashed the blade of his sword across his back. While this strike didn't leave any scars, unfortunately; it did "relieve" Dark Danny of his cloak/cape. Infuriated by this, the dark phantom charged towards his host; while Danny charged him with weapon in hand.
When both sides collided, Danny's sword gleamed brightly in the sun; causing everyone to temporarily go blind. When their vision cleared, both fighters appeared to be unscathed (save for Dark Danny's missing garment.) Then, there came the loud sound of fabric being torn and Danny's tunic split apart at the seams.
With his torso now exposed, everyone could now see all the marks he carried upon him. Scratches, bruises, burn marks, minor and major scars were spread about his chest and arms. "Remarkable how one so young could carry so many battle scars" Drakon gasped in awe, "he must've faced nigh on a thousand battles!"
Several warriors murmured to one another in agreement, which caused the likes of Valerie and even the Elder Fentons to shrink in shame. "Actually...a few of them were done by some kids at school" murmured the young huntress, "some of which did so...at the behest of people like me." Once more, the creatures of Overon felt horrified by such news; thinking that the humans of the outer realms held little respect for their champions.
"You coerced one of your fellow students to attack another" Queen Elbenor inquired in disbelief, "and...where were your schoolmasters, what have they done to put a stop to it?" After taking in a few nervous inhales; Jazz, with a heavy heart, revealed that the staff at Casper High...did very little to protect the downtrodden. From here, she explained that because most of the bullies were either star athletes or came from families who "generously offered" financial donations to the school; the teachers exempt them all from scorn.
"That is the most bull-headed thing I have ever heard" roared the dragon, Moonscar; "all younglings should be treated equally, especially when matters of dispensing justice or discipline are concerned!" Without hesitation, the rest of the crowd began sounding off in agreement; many openly demanding that true justice be served. "Okay...we get the point, we aren't perfect" Moordryd cried in exasperation, "but guess what, you're 'heroes' down there aren't perfect either!"
As all eyes fell down to the arena floor, the young lads were still struggling to either fight back against their doubles and/or defend themselves in any way they could. "If there such great champions as you people claim, this whole thing would be over by now" Moordryd called out, "and yet they're still struggling to hold their own down there...pathetic!" Upon hearing the boy's words, the Dark Booster glared up at him with blazing eyes and immediately called his bluff.
"You're no different, Paynn" he snarled, "you're even more of a mess than Artha is!" Wasting no time, the Dark Booster went on to proclaim Moordryd to be nothing more than a spineless Yellow-Bellied Newt. "This yellow-bellied newt could still waste you on the track, freak" the teen seethed, "so I suggest you use your next words carefully."
Despite whatever fierce bravado Moordryd tried to put up, the Dark Booster smiled fiendishly; as if seeing right through it. "You're right...that would be disrespectful to the newts" he chuckled, "how about a pathetic, low-level racer who uses his bad attitude to compensate for the fact that deep down, he knows he'll never be enough to make his dear old dad proud." Moordryd found himself fiercely tensing up, the more he listened to the creature's jeering, which signaled for Cain to quickly move away.
"Hey, lay off of him" Kitt interjected suddenly, "your battle's with Artha, not any of us!" Down below, Artha clutched at his aching chest while trying to get back onto his feet. "Okay, Kitt...I know you're trying to help" he thought while looking up at friend, "but whose side are you even on!?"
With all the strength he could muster, Artha picked up a mace and charged slightly towards his double. But the Dark Booster only smiled over his shoulder and chuckled snidely, as if he was anticipating this to happen. "C'mon...come at me, Stable Brat" the double thought evilly, "time to put you to bed...for good!"
As the Dark Booster watched his host edge closer, Team Penn were desperately calling out to the real Artha; trying to warn him of a possible trap. But he seemed to be ignoring all of that, choosing to focus squarely on the opponent in front of him. Artha drew closer and closer to his double, which gave the Dark Booster the perfect chance to strike.
He held his mace tight in his hand, swung it forward and...he missed. Meanwhile, Artha had managed to dodge the strike successfully; which gave him just the opportunity he needed to counterattack. As he swung his weapon in an uppercut motion, the spikes on his mace struck the Dark Booster's helmet clear off his head.
The moment it fell to the ground, it instantly turned into a wisp of black mist and vanished into thin air. With his helmet now gone, the Dark Booster's face was then revealed to all; which appeared to be a ferocious variation of Artha's own. While this wasn't too shocking of a sight for the others, Cain stared down at the arena floor in pure astonishment.
"What the...Magna Draconis, the Dark Booster looks just like the Stable Brat" he gasped, "but...that means that..." Rather than join in on his friend's shock, Moordryd simply gave him a sort of "isn't it obvious" kind of stare. "Wait...you knew my brother was the Dragon Booster" Lance asked in disbelief, "since when!?"
With a deep sigh, Moordryd said he was able to put the pieces together while he and Artha were down at the Shadow Track. "When I saw his gauntlet, I knew Penn had to be the Dragon Booster" he stated, "of course...I couldn't really believe it." With this piece of information revealed, everyone stared intently at Moordryd; including the Penn Racing Team members.
"So...what did you do after you found out" Parm prodded, "did you try to hurt him...or did you plan on exposing Artha to your father first!?" Before Moordryd had the chance to speak up, the Dark Booster jabbed his finger at him and demanded he confess. "Artha wasn't the only one to share something, that day" he roared, "tell them, tell them all you're the Shadow Booster...SAY IT!"
Again and again, the creature screamed; demanding Moordryd to confess...but the lad remained quiet. "Moordryd...is what he saying true" Cain asked timidly, "are you really...the Shadow Booster?" Desperate to keep his secret, Moordryd made an attempt to flee the arena.
But he was quickly grabbed by the back of his collar by Bismuth. "You best start talkin', kid" she said firmly, "or will have to feed you to those things in the arena." For several moments, Moordryd struggled and strained with every attempt to free himself from her grip...but to no avail. Realizing there was no point in running, he heaved out a sigh and confessed.
"I am the Shadow Booster" he said reluctantly, "and I've been working alongside Armeggeddon in hopes learning how to use my new powers." This reveal came as a great shock to everyone, especially for Cain and Artha's compatriots. "But...But Armeggeddon is evil" Lance murmured, "why would you want to help somebody like him?!"
As a follow up question, Connor asked why Moordryd still aided in his father's desires to start a Dragon-Human war in their world. "Isn't it obvious...it's because he wants power, all to make himself the best racer in the world" the Dark Booster exclaimed, "that's why he's here in the first place." With this reveal, Bismuth tightened her one hand around Moordryd's collar while changing her free hand into a blade.
The only ones not surprised by this news were the Shadowmanes. It was then that everyone knew that their silence could only mean one thing...that they knew about the Dragon Eye Crew's intentions all along. "Aye, we knew about it all from the beginning" Elbenor stated, "we also know that despite his demeanor...Moordryd isn't as cruel as he appears."
As a retort, Lance revealed a few occasions where Moordryd could have left him for dead...but he didn't. "So...why then" questioned Blue Diamond, "why do you persist on tormenting your fellow racer instead of helping him?" For what felt like ages, Moordryd refused to answer but the scowl upon his face spoke volumes.
"It's because he's desperate to earn Daddy Wyrd's love, he's so desperate that he'll do whatever it takes to earn it" the Dark Booster said snidely, "even bring about the end of the world!" To say that this news horrified everyone would not do the situation proper justice. In truth, everyone believed Moordryd to be an even greater criminal than his father.
Not long after this, the other doubles proceeded to openly profess their own families' vices. The Dark Booster spoke of how Connor purposefully "abandoned" his sons. Dark Danny, once again referenced every instance of abuse dealt upon him by Jack and Maddie; be it physical, emotional or psychological.
But when Corrupted Steven stepped forth, he not only voiced further grievances towards Rose/Pink Diamond; he also spoke of his father's pitiful way of raising him and how he failed to give him a "proper" childhood. All of this made the originals become increasingly frustrated, in spite of the pain surging through each of their bodies.
"St...St-Stop it, stop insulting our friends" Luffy growled, "you're beef is with all of us, remember?!" While this was all true, Dark Beast Boy made it clear that they weren't going to stop until everyone felt their pain; including their "friends." "Every one of these assholes had it all coming for years" Dark Luffy growled, "and we're gonna make sure they get everything they deserve, starting with Luffy's ugly whore with the red hair!"
To emphasize his point, Dark Luffy shifted his arm into its infamous "King Kong Gun" form and threw it out towards the other Straw Hats. Thankfully, the new magical barrier was able to withstand the strike; much to everyone's relief. But the resounding vibrations it created were so strong, it caused the crew to fall off of their seats.
Upon recovering; Brook, Chopper, Franky and Usopp cast fearful glances back down at the arena floor. When they saw the murderous look in Dark Luffy's eyes, it made their blood run cold (except for Brook...because he's a skeleton.) "Why is your captain acting this way" questioned a dwarf sitting beside Nami, "I know you lot are pirates...but I thought you were his dearest friends!"
While she chose not to dignify the pirate comment with a response, poor Nami didn't know how to answer his question. "I...I never knew Luffy felt this way about us" she thought with concern, "does he really hate us this much?" The moment this thought came into her head, another voice suddenly spoke out to her; a male one.
"It is not just you all that the lads are angry with, milady" the voice stated, "as surprising as this may sound...they are actually more angry at themselves." With a start, Nami turned to the side and spotted Falcore; who was looking off in her direction. She also noticed that both his and his falcon, Xenos' eyes were glowing.
Nami, feeling nervous by this, quickly brought this up to everyone's attention; which caused her crew to become concerned as well. "Do not fear, everyone" said the dwarf beside Nami, "Master Falcore is simply communicating with you telepathically with Xenos' help." While this explanation did help slightly ease Nami's confusion, she still had trouble adjusting to the magic of this realm.
"According to what Falcore...or maybe, his pet is telling me; the boys are supposedly...angry at themselves more than they are with us" she explained, "but what does that even mean?" Almost immediately; the likes of Garnet, Jazz, Nico Robin, Antauri, Connor and even Raven knew exactly what she meant. "I've seen this before" murmured the tall permafusion, "Steven has lived with a great sense of self-loathing, doubt and inadequacy since he was a child...and it seems to still be lingering within him."
Not long after this, Jazz proclaimed that her brother also harbored similar feelings...and confessed that she had a hand in intensifying them. "So what...so people say a few mean things or whatever to them" Moordryd said rudely, "that's no explanation to why those freaks are here!"
To drive his point in further, he went on to speak about how often his father viciously denounced him. But he quickly proclaimed that he never once let it get the better of him. "That's a filthy lie and you know it, Paynn" the Dark Booster roared, "if your daddy's insults never bothered you...why are you so desperate for his approval!?"
Feeling frustrated by his double's jeers, Artha tackled him to the ground and attempted to slam the points of his mace into his skull. But after he dodged the strike, the Dark Booster slammed his head into Artha's, leaving a bleeding bruise behind on the bridge of Artha's nose. Again and again, the lads tried to overpower their doppelgangers with everything they had.
But without their powers and with so few combat skills to call upon, they could barely keep up. At one point in the fight, Beast Boy was struck by inspiration. "Guys, I think I know how we can win" he exclaimed, "change opponents as quickly as you can!" Understandably, the other lads looked upon Beast Boy with confusion; wondering if he was talking sense.
"Trust me, I've dealt with this before" the young changeling assured, "just switch up in 3...2...NOW!" With near lightning-quick reflexes, Beast Boy switched from his double to Steven's; while he made his way over to Artha's. Overtime, they had each found a new opponent to face.
But they still wondered how this would help them in their situation. "This happened to me and my teammates once before" Beast Boy stated, "if we switch from our doubles to someone else's, we may take them down easier!" While the other lads didn't appear that convinced with his explanation, they were willing to give anything a try.
But just as they were all ready to fight again, the doubles quickly switched back to their original hosts. "What the...What's going on" Beast Boy stammered, "I thought my idea would work!" As if on cue, Gabriel gave a whistle and briefly called for the champions' attention.
"You cannot let others fight your demons for you, Master Garfield" he shouted, "only you and you alone must face them!" This news struck the lads like a blow to the head, on an emotional level. Beast Boy truly felt that Starfire's strategy would work a second time.
But now, he and his friends were at the full mercy of their doppelgangers. "Ya can't run from me forever, squirt" Dark Beast Boy hissed, "no matter how far you run, I will hunt you down and strike you when you least...SUSPECT IT!" With that sudden exclamation, the evil changeling swiped his claws hard across his host's face; leaving a scar that was near similar to Steven's.
Infuriated yet still quite terrified by this turn of events, the lads knew only one course of action to take. They picked up their weapons, collected their shields and charged towards their doubles. As both sides began striking at one another, sparks came flying off the steel of their blades and the surfaces of their shields.
As the battle progressed, the lads swiftly became angrier than they were before. Some feared that this might inadvertently set the entire arena ablaze. But to those like Garnet, they saw the "sparks' and whatever "fires" they started on a more symbolic level.
The harder their boys fought, the angrier they became and the angrier they became; the stronger their doubles became, as a result. Garnet only hoped that Steven and the others would reach this realization themselves...before it was too late.
(Line Break)
As the mid afternoon sun shined down upon the Xeruvian Coliseum, all appeared quiet. Down in the battlefield, both the young champions and their doppelgangers remained standing; looking quite ragged and heavily scarred. But in spite of all this, both sides would not falter until their one side or the other fell.
Up in the stands, everyone sat on pins and needles; desperately praying for the battle to end soon. Then, with weapons in hand and loud battle-cries echoing through the air; both groups charged each other once more. Then, in a flash; their blades collided so strongly that everyone could feel the force of their collective anger strike at them as if it were a sonic boom.
Beast Boy, Danny and Artha pushed hard up against their doubles' weapons; while Luffy, Steven and Chiro acted as their shields. Both sides pushed hard against one another, trying desperately to try and overpower their opponents. "This is...This is unreal" Steven thought fearfully, "no matter how hard we hit these guys, they strike us back a hundred times stronger!"
The other lads seemed to be having the same thought, inwardly remarking upon the irony behind the "you're your own worst enemy" proverb. Then, as they took a moment into their doubles' eyes; time seemed to suddenly come to a halt (metaphorically speaking.) Soon; Steven, Beast Boy, Danny, Chiro, Artha and even Luffy came to the same conclusion.
No matter how hard they might fight their doubles, it would only make them stronger with every strike they deliver. The more their collective rage grew, the more powerful their doubles seemed to become. It was here that they came to a sudden realization...they needed to let go.
With that in mind, they each gave a strong push against their doubles; sending them flying back slightly. "Huh...what are you doing" murmured Corrupted Steven, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" Rather than be put off by his doppelganger's words yet again; Steven let out a deep sigh, swiped off some blood from his face and sat cross-legged on the sand.
Before long, the other lads had caught on to what he was doing and each took a seat beside him; much to everyone's confusion. "What's going on here, giving up already" roared Dark Danny, "I knew you'd all fold soon enough!" While keeping up his calm demeanor, Danny proclaimed that he had no reason to give up...because the battle was over.
"You six...things are our inner demons, born from all manner of darkness that's lived inside of each of us" Chiro murmured stoically, "but now, that darkness is gone; thus...you guys don't exist." This proclamation created quite an uproar, not just between those within the stands but the dark doubles themselves. But all too quickly, Dark Luffy brought them back to their senses and glared angrily at the six lads.
"Darkness or no darkness, we are real" he shouted ferociously, "and we're going to prove it...by killing you here and NOW!" With that promise made and with weapons in hand, the six dark doubles rushed forward like a herd of mad bulls; intent on slaughtering their hosts. At the same time; the boys themselves remained seated in their lotus positions, appearing as calm as a waterfall.
The same could not be said for their loved ones, unfortunately; who were all screaming for the lads to move away immediately. "GET THE HELL OUTTA THERE, SCALE-BRAINS" Cain cried desperately, "THEY'RE GONNA RUN YOU OVER!" Soon after, Moordryd and the Penn Racing Crew began making similar calls of distress.
Meanwhile; the Titans, Straw Hats and Team Phantom were shouting out more...explicit calls of warning to their comrades below. But just like with Moordryd, the lads remained fixed upon their seated spot. The dark doubles drew closer and closer to their hosts, their eyes blazing red with bloodlust and then...the whole arena was nearly blinded by a red light.
"AH! WHAT THE HELL" Zoro groaned while shielding his good eye, "WHAT'S CAUSING THAT LIGHT?!" While still shielding their eyes, everyone in the stands did their best to see what was happening below. The first to look was Garnet; who, thanks in part to her visor, wasn't affected by the light.
But when she looked down at the arena floor, she had almost wished she was. Down below, the boys were rolling about the sand; their bodies glowing a bright red and violently twitching. To the eyes of Chopper and Gibson, it looked as though they were having a seizure fit.
The mere sight of this caused Gabriel's blood to run cold. "No...No, this can't be happening" he thought fearfully, "if this means what I think it means...our friends could be in terrible danger."
(First AN: And that is where we shall end this part of the story. I know, it feels naughty of me to leave a cliffhanger at this kind of moment. But it's as they say, always leave the audience wanting more.
What has happened to the champions, did they win the Trial and if not; are they suffering from sort of magical corruption? Find out the answer to these questions and more, as the tale continues)
(Second AN: This trial was inspired to me by three separate sources. The first one was that of the Jedi Trials from the Star Wars franchise. While I've never watched the series myself *with the exception of Genndy Tartatovsky's Clone Wars series,* the "Testing the Spirit" trial spoke to me a little. This led me to think...perhaps, the young champions should face the mirror themselves.
Considering what the likes of Steven, Beast Boy and Danny endured in life; it's something long awaited. The second source of inspiration came from The End – Part II; specifically, the scene where three of the five Titans battled their darker selves. Sadly, I felt the scene was lackluster; particularly with the resolution.
No one else can battle your inner demons for you, it's you and you alone who must face them. Finally, the third source that inspired me to make this trial was the Mad Jack episode from Samurai Jack. In that episode, the protagonist dealt with his demons the right way)
(Third AN: Speaking of inspiration; while Artha's Dark Booster self and Chiro's savage self were my own ideas, Danny's was inspired from his alternate future self from Ultimate Enemy. Meanwhile, Dark Luffy's look was based on a fanart image I came across by an artist named Sempai3607 and Corrupted Steven's look was based upon a pic made by MajorLeagueGaminTrap. These looks truly represented what I wanted in our heroes' darker halves)
(Fourth AN: Some might think that this chapter contained more screaming from the doubles than fighting. But remember; in combat, it's not just about fighting your opponent...it's about destroying them psychologically and the dark doubles seemed to have nearly done just that. But I'll let you all judge that for yourselves)
(Fifth AN: For Dark Beast Boy's "slur" towards Starfire, I actually considered using a real Swahili swear word in his statement. But I realized that might be pushing things too far, even though this story is rated "M." Thus, I just chose a simple phrase that still packed the same emotional blow that the "Clorbag Varblernilk" comment did)
(Sixth AN: Some people may wonder why Chiro's darker half looks the way it does and why it didn't talk smack about its host like the other doubles have. Well, the truth is; Chiro's dark self represents the animalistic side of him...which was seen in the episode I, Chiro and the follow-up, Savage Lands Part One. As I recall, one of Chiro's fears *besides swimming and feeling powerless* was if the Power Primate might get the better of him; thus causing a more primal state of mind to take over.
As such, I felt it was appropriate to have Chiro's dark side embody the savage parts he tries to keep under control. I could be wrong, of course; feel free to correct me in your reviews...just keep your critiques civil)
(Final AN: Danny, Chiro and Steven's comment about their comrades not having special ladies in their lives will have a part to play; as the story progresses. All I can tell you...is that soon, there will be many ships sailing)