Chapter 17 The Evil Within

(Evil) Emperor's P.O.V

After Rojo left the Area, I jumped into the air. I was starting to feel like I was no longer myself. I had the urge to destroy everything within my sight. Especially those who would cross my path. I opened my mouth and a thin stream of lightning sprang from my mouth in the direction that Rojo went. As the laser came from my mouth, A huge wave of pain swept over my head, causing me to drop back to the ground and put my left hand on my head. I swayed from the pain that kept washing over me.

"You're in my way!"

I growled. The individuals that were near the sheet of ice were standing openmouthed in what seemed to be awe and fear, but I didn't care. They were in my way and I needed them destroyed.

"We need to get out of here!"

The Blue one said fearfully. He took off running, but that's when my vision returned. I straightened my arm and held out my hand with the palm facing this individual. A pulse came from my hand that sent the individual flying back through the air. He slammed into the sheet of ice that they had tried to escape through. The other individual looked at me.

"What's gotten into you Emperor!?"

He asked me. I ignored the question and stood sideways with my feet parallel to each other. I then put my arm up in front of me and made what looked like to be a cover with my left hand. With my right hand, I made a fist that was positioned right behind that cover hand. A small Black pulsating orb formed between them and I pulled my arms back while I was in this stance.

"You'll regret crossing me"

I seethed as I heard electrical charging sounds. The pulsing orb exploded and I rocketed forward. I felt my hand that was clenched into A fist go numb with electricity as I traveled. The individual that had addressed me was the first one to receive my wrath. My fist impacted his chest and it caved in on impact. I heard the crunching of bones as my rage started to build. My fist went all the way through his body and into the wall of ice behind him.

"W-H-how?"

These were the only words that the individual could say as I ripped my fist from his chest. As I took my fist out of his chest, I noticed that I had A single forward-facing spike that was rooted into the top of my hand before my fingers. I took A few steps back and the individual fell to the ground in front of me. I turned around so that I could walk...somewhere where I could find powerful people. I was fed up with associating with weaklings; I needed more power, but I didn't know where to find it. I walked past the individual that looked similar to Venom. He looked at me with an expression of fear and anger. For some reason I stopped.

"I can sense great power within you; Fight me!"

I said as I turned quickly and stomped the ground with my right foot. It was placed in front of my left foot. The individual looked at me with An interesting expression. It was somewhere between fear and inquisitiveness.

"Why do you want me to fight you?"

The individual asked me. I smiled.

"I want to because this weakling over here that's staining my ground with his blood gave me no entertainment whatsoever"

I said. When I finished this sentence, A maniacal laugh escaped my throat. My wings snapped open without me telling them to. I bolted forward and grabbed this individual by his neck and I launched into the air. I used my right arm to do this while my left arm did nothing. I jumped over the wall of ice that signified the bend and I snapped my wings shut as I started to fall to the ground. Right before I hit the ground, I jerked this individual's head forward. It hit the ice hard and I felt him go out cold upon the impact. Sparks and Blackish-Red lightning bolts crawled around my arms as I picked him up by his neck. I couldn't sense any pulse or breathing.

"What's the matter?"

I started as the individual moaned softly and struggled very faintly against my grasp.

"Are you dead already?"

I asked as I brought my arm back and tossed him far away from me.

"Is there anyone who has as much power as I do!?"

I screamed to the sky. Thunder roared in the distance. Purple lighting chains crawled across the clouds above me. I opened my wings again and launched into the sky. I wanted death and destruction. I wanted to see misery and hate and I wanted everything to be under my control. I sailed into the clouds. I knew exactly where I was going to go and what I was going to do. It did not take me long to find the place I was going to go. I descended quickly through the clouds and landed within something that I knew of too well.

"This will mark the beginning of my destruction!"

I announced to the city of trees that stood rooted in the ground before me. I closed my eyes momentarily. It was then that A wave of pain coursed over me and I saw A line cut through the trees. Some of them exploded and some caught fire.

"Yes, yes!"

I started.

"This is the power and destruction that I've been waiting for so long!"

I screamed to the sky as I continued razing the land around me. I wanted nothing to stand before me when I was done with this pitiful area. I felt heat welling up in my chest. I knew this was the key to destroying everything. This was the legend that was passed down from generations. It was called Black Fire. it was something that I needed now. I let the fire come from my mouth. I watched the flames spring forward from my mouth. The flames were Black indeed. They seemed to be devoid of everything, and I liked it, A lot. I laughed to myself as I looked at the destruction all around me. I smiled.

"This is what I was meant to do!"

I screamed to the burning land around me. My scream echoed of off the trees as I turned my gaze to something odd. An individual stood across from me with his arms crossed.

"Well, well, well"

The individual started. I turned fully to face this individual.

"Are you going to be the next one to feel my wrath?"

I asked this individual as I narrowed my eyes.

"How can you expect to make me feel your wrath after you've given into the evil that resides in John?"

The individual asked as I held out my hand. An orb of Red color that seemed to be charging itself with Black lighting formed around my outstretched hand.

"You may not understand"

I started. The individual looked at me in surprise.

"I have taken full control of this new energy!"

I said as I extended my arms out to their fullest on both sides of me. I then smiled, which caused this individual to take A step back in fear.

"If you haven't given into the Evil, then you should be able to decide what your actions are"

The individual said as it disappeared into the smoke that was rising all around me. I then heard footsteps pounding the ground somewhere near me. I quickly turned to all the available sides to see what was causing this noise. I turned to the correct side in time to see someone jump over the wall of fire and stand before me.

"You have done enough, your damage stops here Abyss!"

The individual said as she got up from her kneeling stance. She then looked at me.

"Wait… you're not Abyss"

She said nervously as I gave her A smile.

"That's right. I'm not Abyss; I'm much more powerful and dangerous than he is"

I stated as I opened my wings to their fullest. I then could see who it was that had dared to challenge my power. She looked similar to me, as she had wings and looked to be very strong. She didn't have horns like I did, but I did notice the magic energy that she emanated.

"If you're not Abyss, who are you then?"

She asked me as I saw her make A magic spear of Blue color in her hand. I put my hand on my forehead and shook my head.

"You have no idea who I am?"

I asked as I saw the individual threw the spear at me. I shrugged and just as the spear was about to hit me, I caught it and snapped the spear in half with two fingers.

"I have many names, but the one you're going to experience is Death"

I said as another smile creeped across my face. The individual looked at me with narrowed eyes for a second before the anger in her eyes changed to fear.

"No... It can't be!"

She exclaimed softly as I heard more cracking sounds resound in the area.

"W-What happened to you Emperor?"

The individual asked me as I felt more energy coursing into me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

I stated plainly.

"All I know is that I am the Emperor of Darkness, and you are going to be the rug under my feet when I'm done with you"

I said as I fired another laser that was aimed directly at this individual. She rolled to the left and dodged the fired laser. The wave of pain that was associated with this laser swept over me and I shook my head to get rid of the dizziness that clouded my vision.

"I know you can fight this Emperor"

The individual started as she materialized an orb of Green color in her left palm.

"Don't you understand pitiful dinosaur?"

I asker her as the energy around my hands shone more brightly.

"Your king is gone now! He's been lost to my control!"

I said as I slammed my open palm into the ground.

"If you desire your life, I would recommend leaving within the next few moments"

I said with an evil grin as I started the most powerful attack that I could.

"Cross Inferno Destruction!"

I yelled as A Black tornado that was made of fire started to form around me. I stood up from the ground, but I was still hunched over for some reason. Another laugh escaped from my mouth as I saw the twister explode into Black flames that started to devour everything around me. I finished laughing and looked across from where I was standing. I was expecting to see the burning remains of my challenger, but when I looked, my breath caught in my throat.

"How!?"

I said nervously as the individual brushed some ashes off of her scales.

"Elemental magic is nice, but knowing how they stack up against foes is even better"

She said as got back into her stance. I growled.

"How far are you willing to push yourself to beat me?"

I asked as I glared at this individual. She laughed.

"At this pace, all you'll be doing is giving me energy"

She sighed as she threw the Green orb at me. I caught the orb in my right hand and crushed it.

"Was that supposed to scare me?"

I asked with another growl. She laughed again .

"It wasn't supposed to scare you, but what you just did made my fight against you A lot easier"

She explained. Unfortunately, she was right. Somehow, I was forced to stay in the same area of land that I was currently occupying. I was not able to move. All I could do was turn to the right and left sides of me.

"What have you done to me!?"

I raged as I saw large boulders and pieces of trees being lifted from the ground. It was then that I could see more individuals appearing behind this...powerful individual.

"It's not just what i'm going to do"

She started as the others that appeared behind her took their respective places beside her. She looked to the others and they looked at her and all of them nodded together in unison.

"It's not just what I'm going to do"

She started again.

"It's what we're going to do!"

The others said in unison as they all started materializing their respective weapons in their hands.

"No, this isn't possible!"

I breathed to myself.

"You don't have enough power to destroy me!"

I yelled as I tried to fight the magic that was keeping me captive. I strained with all of my power, but nothing happened. The others looked at me with expressions of fear, but they didn't make it known in their stances.

"We may not have enough power to destroy you, but we know how to keep you contained"

A light Blue individual one said as she walked from her place in the line with the one who was attempting to fight me. They walked from their places in line to stand in front of me.

"Stop being cowards and free me from this spell!"

I seethed as they look at me.

"This is not the Emperor I know"

The light Blue one said nervously. I laughed to myself.

"You're absolutely right; the Emperor you know is gone!"

I seethed. The one that looked like me on the other side of the light Blue individual sighed.

"I know you're in there somewhere Emperor, keep fighting this evil"

She urged me. The other individuals formed A circle around me.

"I'm gonna try to help him"

The one that looked like me stated.

"I need you guys to help contain him if he tries to escape"

She finished. The others nodded. The light Blue individual took A place in the circle. My attention turned back to the one that was left in front of me.

"All of your hope is lost! Stop trying to find him because he's no more"

I said as she looked me in my eyes. Her irises glowed A Green color. It was then that I had A burning sensation start to crawl across me. Then, right after that, unbearable pain started to course through my body. I started to groan with the pain, but I couldn't take my gaze off of the one who was standing before me. As I looked into her eyes, I could see another individual that looked like me, except it was different.

"Is it working Cynder?"

One of them asked. I was dizzy now. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to last much longer.

"It seems to be working Rose. he's shaking like A tree in the breeze"

The one in front of me replied tensely.

Cynder huh? I'll make her like one when i'm done here

I told myself as I felt myself swaying.

"You're not going to win against me"

I rasped.

"Everything falls sooner or later, even you Cynder"

I said with A wheezing laugh. I saw the others next to Cynder exchange worried glances.

"Shall I do the honors?"

Rose asked. My vision was becoming hazy now.

"By all means, go right ahead. Maybe it'll shut him up for A while!"

Cynder hissed. As soon as she replied to Rose, I saw her go around me. I heard her stretch.

"Just remember you're the one who couldn't fight me without keeping me restrained"

I wheezed as I felt something impact the side of my head. The impact sent unbearable shockwaves of pain all over my body.

"Nice...Try"

Was all I could say before I crumpled to the ground and blacked out. When I woke up, I found myself bound at my arms and feet with chains.

"What's the meaning of this?!"

I seethed. I was blindfolded as well. I heard footsteps approach me.

"He's awake guys"

I heard someone say. I heard shuffling of of soft material as more footsteps approached me.

"Untie me at once!"

I raged as I strained against the chains. I heard the metallic clinking of them as I strained. I heard someone chuckle.

"He really doesn't go down without fighting fully does he?"

I heard another voice say as I was lifted from the ground.

"Remember when you're dealing with this kind of thing to make sure nobody else is around"

Another voice said as I swayed with the motions of the individuals that were carrying me.

"I know NorthWind, I'm not stupid"

I heard another voice say with annoyance. I laughed to myself.

"Maybe you are and you just don't want to admit it"

I said to myself. I was then dropped onto the floor.

"Ouch!"

I seethed as I impacted the floor.

"Don't untie him until I tell you to"

I heard A voice command. Suddenly, A bright light shone through the area. It was so bright, that I had to shut my eyes, even though they were under the blindfold. When the light had died completely, the blindfold was taken from my eyes and I could see where I was. Wherever we were, it was dark and humid. Torches lined the walls, and they sent Orange and Yellow light that sent odd shadows over the surrounding rock walls.

"Take him to the altar"

I heard the voice that had been speaking for most of the time I had been blindfolded command. I watched as A Purple colored individual lifted my feet and A Yellow colored individual lift my upper body. They strained to carry me all the way to the altar, but they were able to. They set me down carefully on the table and they scrambled to stand next to stand next to the Burgundy colored individual they called "Rose".

"I don't like even touching him when he's like this"

I heard the Yellow individual say to Rose. She nodded slightly.

"No one likes this at all; the High Council wants him executed for what he did to Mako's brother up on the mountain"

Rose said quietly as she looked at me.

"Get the chains ready Venom and Lemon"

She ordered them. The two of them went to the left side of the room and picked some rolls of chains off of the wall. Each one took two rolls of chain off of the wall and put them on their shoulders. They walked to Rose and one stood on each side of her.

"Make sure that you tie him up so well that he starts to lose circulation in his ligaments if you need to"

She said firmly.

"Yes Council Member Rose!"

They replied professionally and in unison. They walked up the steps to the altar I was on. They took A spot on both sides of me and they untied my legs first. As they undid the ties, I tried to lash out with kicks aimed at their cheeks, but I still couldn't move for some reason. I then noticed that I was tied not only with chains, but with rope as well. The chains and rope that bound my feet together fell to the floor with the combined sounds of metallic clinking and the thump of the rope as it hit the floor.

"Act quickly Lemon"

Venom breathed as he quickly tied the new, heavier chains to bind my feet together.

"I'm working as quickly as I can Venom"

Lemon sighed with some annoyance in her voice. When she finished. The chains and rope that bound my arms fell to the floor with the same sounds as the chains and rope that fell moments ago.

"Careful Venom, he could lash out at any moment"

Lemon warned as my arms fell to my sides on the table.

"I understand Lemon, I'm trying my best"

Venom replied tensely as he started chaining my arm to the post that supported the ceiling above me. I looked to the other side of me to see that Lemon was doing the same thing as well.

"Hurry up you two, I'm getting A nervous feeling here"

Rose urged.

"We're doing our best Rose, we don't want to mess anything up"

The two of them said in unison with annoyance. When the both of them had finished, I was suspended in the air with my body hanging by the chains that were tied around my wrists. My feet were bound together with the same chains as well.

"Let's get outta here Lemon, I'm feeling the same way as Rose now"

I heard Venom say to Lemon as they both accompanied Rose out of the room. When they left the room, footsteps continued resounding in the room.

"Who's there?"

I wheezed. I had to focus my eyes, but I could see two White pinpoints of light in the room. They were flickering on the leftmost part of the room. They were in the darkest corner of the room where very little light reached. I blinked my eyes to make sure that I was not hallucinating from the pain I was enduring.

"Why would they treat you this way?"

I heard A voice rasp. My breathing quickened and my pulse started to rise. The feeling of anxiety grew as well.

"I don't know and I don't care"

I lashed back nastily. The voice laughed A scary gurgling laugh that sent chills up and down my back.

"Have you ever heard of the phrase don't bite the hand that feeds you?"

The voice asked as I saw something move in the shadows. I tried struggling against the chains that were nailed to the pillars, but my efforts were futile.

"I'm just too weak!"

I I said with all the energy I had, but it only came out as A whisper.

"I think that we could change that"

A new voice said.

"And how would that be?"

I rasped. I saw two rings of light form in the opposite area of the room that the scary voice was coming from. First, the Red rings formed and then the Orange rings formed. The rest of this individual seemed to form as both of the things that these voices belonged to emerged from the darkness.

"Fancy seeing you here Mastermind"

The individual on the right said with some sarcasm as he looked up at me. The thing on the right looked like A nightmare. It was freakishly thin, it smelled horrible and had A face that gave me chills even if I looked at it for even one second.

"Why would you say that?"

The freakish thing on the left asked as it looked up at me. The Black individual looked up at me angrily.

"It seems that we have A problem here Mastermind"

He said as he turned to the freakish thing. The thing vaporized and appeared close to where I was.

"What seems to be the problem Abyss?"

The thing asked in its raspy voice that sent more chills up and down my body.

"Emperor here seems to have something that's mine"

He said as he held out his arm to me.

"I don't remember him taking anything from you"

The Mastermind said as it appeared next to Abyss. Abyss sneered.

"He's taken something that's very important to me; something that is going to make me unstoppable!"

He said as the area around my body started to glow with A pulsing Purple color. The Mastermind looked at me. Every time it did that, I couldn't help but look into the large areas that were supposed to house eyes, but they weren't visible.

"You're not going to succeed in what you're trying to do Abyss"

The Mastermind rasped as its pinpoints turned to A Red color. The Purple pulsing glow around me turned to A Red color. When this happened, Abyss flinched and he started to convulse in what seemed to be pain.

"W-What's going on!?"

Abyss asked in anger and amazement as Blue and Black lighting chains started coursing over his body. He fell to the floor with A thumping sound.

"I told you what you were trying to accomplish was futile"

The Mastermind stated as he raised Abyss from the floor. As he was stood back up, I saw that the Orange rings that was supposed to be around his Red iris was absent. Both of his eyes now had the Red iris visible, and both of them were glowing brightly.

"I never gave him the Devil Gene"

Abyss said quietly. His voice had changed now. It was deeper and had an odd tone to it.

"The power that came from the Anti-Matter-Core was mine and mine only!"

He said loudly and with complete anger. The Mastermind turned his gaze from me, back to Abyss.

"If I remember correctly, you were the one who gave him him the Devil Gene when you used Pain Split"

The Mastermind stated. Right after he said that, Abyss flinched and whipped himself around so that he could narrow his eyes at the Mastermind.

"How do you know about this?!"

Abyss asked angrily as he stabbed his finger at the thing. The Mastermind laughed again.

"I know many things Abyss; that's why the people that know me call me the Mastermind"

The thing said to him as Abyss turned his gaze back to me. I had the sudden urge to look at my arms, but I didn't know why. I tore my gaze from the monster and Abyss to look at my arms. They had reverted to the Green scale coloring that I had before.

"If I can't take the power I should have rightfully from you alive, I'll take it from you dead"

Abyss said with A cruel smile. The Mastermind shook his head once more.

"You won't succeed with this either Abyss, there will be more opportunities in the future for this"

The Mastermind said as Abyss put his arm to his side.

"Rise Emperor; let me ascertain what is truly mine!"

Abyss commanded me. As he said this, A wave of pure energy flew through my body. I tensed my right arm and pulled it close to my chest, breaking the chains that bound me to the pillar. I fell to the ground and landed awkwardly since my feet were bound by the chains. I then pulled my left arm close to my chest and the chains that bound me to the left pillar snapped. I locked eyes with Abyss as metallic rings fell all around me.

"There's nothing more for me here at this point"

The Mastermind started as the thing glided across the floor. It returned to the corner from where it had appeared from and melted into the shadows once more.

"Someone's about to have A really good day"

Abyss said as he got into his fighting stance. I looked down at the chains that bound my feet and noticed that they somehow had broken in the time that I was commanded by Abyss. The chains were now wrapped around my legs and arms as if I was an animal. I locked eyes with Abyss again.

"How about you give me what's truly mine?"

I asked him as I resumed taking my own stance. Abyss laughed to himself.

"You don't have enough power to be dangerous Emperor"

He started. I growled in response to the statement.

"You're going to have to become way more powerful if you want to be able to threaten me"

Abyss finished as he then looked at the floor below him.

"What have I done?"

I heard him ask himself in disbelief as he took shaky steps back from his original placement. I had no idea what was going on, but if Abyss was going to back down from the challenge that he proposed to me, I would see that as an act of cowardice.

"What are you scared of Abyss?"

I started to ask in A taunting way.

"Weren't you supposed to be ascertaining my power?"

I finished as Abyss melted into the corner just as the Mastermind did.

"I'm not going to be here when the monster that resides under this floor wakes"

He said quickly and with fear. I saw the Orange rings appear around his eyes once again as he disappeared into the corner.

"What's there to be afraid of?"

I asked the room. The chains that snaked around my arms and legs made metallic clinking sounds as I started to twitch uncontrollably. I felt power welling up in me once again.

"I wonder why Abyss and the Mastermind left so early?"

I asked myself as I started to pace uncontrollably. It was then that the doors to the chamber burst open

"How did you get down from there!?"

I heard A familiar voice ask me fearfully. I turned from my pacing and looked to see the Yellow individual from earlier. I laughed to myself.

"Did you really think that some measly chains would hold me down?"

I asked as I saw Red and Black lightning chains course around my arms and legs. They lit up the darkness with eerie lights that showed the pure fear that this individual had. The individual turned to run out the door, but I put out my arm and the doors closed before she could run out of the room. When the lighting had stopped coursing around me, I saw her hit her head softly against the door.

"If you want to kill me, then do it quickly"

She stated as she turned to me. I laughed.

"Do you really think that you have A say in how you die?"

I asked her as I felt wings coming from my back.

"She may not, but what I can say is that you're in really big trouble"

I heard A familiar voice say behind my back. I whipped around to see who it was, but there was no one there.

"I have reminded you once before that the path of evil is the one that leads to loneliness and sadness"

The voice continued on. I had no idea where the voice was coming from, but every time it spoke, it made waves of pain go over my body.

"Let me dispel this evil from you for now"

The voice said as I felt something touch the back of my neck. The grasp was firm, but not enough to cut off my breathing.

"What are you doing?"

I asked the individual as I felt the power that wanted to well up in me stop. I felt the bones in my wings start to dissipate and the horns that came from my head start to wither and return to where they had come from. I was also dizzy now.

"The path of darkness leaves trails of death and destruction that nobody wants"

The voice said. By now, I was close to fainting again, but I had enough sense to make out who was speaking to me.

"I remember this voice"

I told myself as I fell to my knees.

"As you should remember the voice of your mother who wants the best for you"

She said with a soft and soothing voice as I fell to the floor

"There's an evil presence here, I can feel it"

She stated as I heard her walk around the room.

"Could this be the trigger that made my son the destructive individual he was?"

I heard her ask herself as someone continued beating on the door that led into this room. I heard the doors open.

"Before you leave Doctor Lemon, be sure to to ask for help and tell them that Siren sent you"

She instructed as Lemon ran from the room quickly.

"I do care for you Emperor, but there's just too much evil in this world for you to be around others who share the most optimistic desires"

She said softly and with A sigh. I moaned softly and I had to close my eyes now. My vision swam and my body was burning with pain.

"Don't worry Emperor, this is only temporary"

She started to say as the doors burst open again.

"You'll be free soon, I can promise this"

these were the last words that she said to me before I sank into the sea of unconsciousness that was brought on by the pain once again.