Chapter Fourteen

Jack vs. Shadow Jack

Somewhere, in the darkest part of the forest, the evil Zylo was planning his revenge on the ones who almost killed him a few years ago.

"It's perfect," the demon-human said. "David's injury couldn't be any better, well in timing anyways! It will be easy to kill him now! Without him, Cory will die too, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Back at Zeig's fortress–like castle, Jack is readying for his mission.

"Now you don't fail me," Zeig told him. "I helped you escape the real Jacks pitiful body, and now he's awakened! He's back, and he's going to be harder to kill. He must know that we're after him too."

"Of course he knows. I mean, I shared his body, and kept reading his pitiful mind," Shadow Jack said with a chuckle.

"Just go, and kill him," Zeig yelled as he stood up. Phantom Zeig and Cory were quite a distance away from each other, and were giving each other dirty looks until Cory started to pull out his dagger, and Phantom Zeig backed even further away. Shadow Jack, then, walked through the large binary doors, and out of Zeig's castle. Now, where the real Jack is, he's walking through the forest bloodied and scratched up from head to toe. His cloak is torn and bloodstained, and he lost some weight from not eating anything lately.

"Ow," he said as a branch sliced open one of his cuts. "Damn trees." The blood started trickling down his arm, and dripped to the dark and damp ground. Jack walked on. His destination was first finding Cameron, and then murdering Shadow Jack. Then, Jack heard rustling behind him. He turned just to see darkness and blood here and there. He also thought he saw a wolf, but he turned forward again, and kept going. Back to where Lance and the others are, David has just awakened, and now he isn't upset that everyone found out about his secret. He sat up and spoke.

"Cory doesn't even know yet," David told them. Candice had again put David's head in her lap, and was yet again stroking his blonde hair.

"Well that's probably a good thing," Vallen said, as he continued, "because if he did know, then he could plot a way to get an anti-dragon field or something like that." Then, from the corner of the opening to get where everyone was, Jack appeared with even more opened cuts. Everyone, including David, got up and ran towards him. Vallen and Cameron hoisted him up onto Scout, and brought him towards the blazing fire. Then, when Jack was lying down, Alexis, without warning, transformed, and also without warning used Divine Moonlight and Divine Light as a super combination! The two spells formed and completely recovered Jack, much to everyone, including Alexis's, surprise! Then, she defused, and suddenly Shadow Jack appeared!

"Now I wished that it wouldn't have to end this way, of a shadow of your former self murdering you here tonight," the Shadow said to Jack.

"No," Jack said quietly, as his cuts healed and his body glowed with tremendous force, "it will be you who will die here. But if I do fall, I'm bringing you with me," he finished as his voice grew louder.

"Go to HELL," Shadow Jack yelled as he yelled the incantation, "BLOODY HATRED!" The blood-colored spell flew towards Jack with amazing speed! Jack was even faster. He dodged to the right, and yelled, "Iscourtic Bloodra!" When Jack blasted Shadow Jack with this dark-red attack, the others moved away from the battle grounds and into the trees. Then, Jack's spell hit Shadow, and he flew backwards. He became bloody and had cuts around the upper-half of his body. Instead of hitting the ground or trees, he stopped in mid-air, straightened up, and landed gently. Then Shadow yelled, "Hell's Curse!" Then, when Shadow raised his hand, everything grew dark. Everything was plunged into total darkness. Then, Jack screamed, along with Cameron! The deadly curse was taking its effect! After that, the forest returned to view.

"Now," Shadow said as he lowered his hand, "we'll each take turns attacking one another. The rule of this cursed game are as said: no dodging hits, you must attack your opponent each turn, and we play until the other person dies!"

"Okay, and what happens if you win," Jack asked. "And what about the curse?"

"You'll find out eventually," Shadow answered smiling a dark smile. Then he yelled, "Flarison Shot!" This spell was so fast that nobody could tell what color it was. It hit Jack, who flinched, but recovered fast. Then, the darkness from before, swarmed around Jack and Cameron, and finally, they disappeared from view. They screamed as though they were being murdered, but then Jack yelled, "Lightning Strike!" Instead of hitting Shadow Jack, he blasted the darkness and himself! Shadow was now readying Bloody Hatred.

"UUURRRAAAHHH," He yelled as the darkness went away from him and Cameron. When they returned to view, they were bloody, and their faces turned partially pale. But Jack's hands were glowing, and he balled them into fists! He ran towards Shadow at full speed, knowing that he can't escape. Then…WHAM, WHAM! Both of Jack's fists collided with Shadow, one in his throat while the other in his stomach! While still connected, electricity was soaring from Jack's fists, into every part of Shadow! Jack backed off just in time as Shadow Jack, who was still being electrocuted, was now being sucked into darkness. They all heard screaming, and finally heard Shadow's voice, "Heh ha ha ha ha! You can't kill me, because if you do, Jack'll die too! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!"

"I'd rather die than let you see the lights of day again," Jack said, while Cameron started crying hard.

"Great choice," Shadow said, "because you win…and…you get…to keep…your…life…urgh…" Then, when the darkness faded, and no screaming was heard, they saw the corps of a living mans shadow. Shadow Jack was finally defeated, and dead. The corps suddenly began to glow, and changed into a purple orb as big as all the Dragoon Spirits. Then, it just sat there in mid-air, in front of him. Everyone gathered around Jack slowly, as Jack took the orb. Suddenly, when Jack took the stone, another giant orb fully covered him! Cameron was crying even harder now, and everyone else gasped! When the giant purple orb died down, Jack was wearing dark purple armor, basically the same as Lances except the color of course. He had wings as well. Jack is now the Dragoon Warrior of Thunder!

"Whoa," he said, with an amazed voice. "I don't believe it."