Chapter 7

Consequences

Corey took a step back, still unable to form the correct words. Staring right back at him was a five-year-older version of himself, and he had just killed both Liz and Derek.

Using the hem of his black cloak, the older Corey wiped off Derek's blood from his sword and sheathed the blade in his belt loop under the cloak itself.

"There's…no way…how…why?" Corey stuttered, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Why? Why would he kill all those people? He wasn't evil. He wouldn't slaughter innocent people. He wouldn't. He couldn't!

"Sorry to burst your bubble, kiddo, but it's the truth. I am you, no matter what you think. Oh…and I don't go by the name 'Corey' anymore." His older self said with a smile.

"What?" Corey asked, feeling his heart beating rapidly against his chest.

"Yeah…'Corey' was a weak fool. I just go by Kartana now, although some people like the name 'Dark Kartana'." Kartana began to laugh a little. "Dark Kartana! What an idiotic name! It's a good thing I killed the fools who thought that up! It would've given away the pleasure of seeing expressions like yours!" The small laughter turned maniacal.

"Shut up!" Corey yelled, finally gaining control of his emotions. "There is no way in hell that you are me! I'd have never killed all those people! Liz…Derek…everyone!!" Corey ran right at him, the spiritual bullet forming at the tip of his right index finger.

"Do you need proof?" Kartana asked. He held up his own right hand and extended his finger. Without even a second's warning, Kartana unleashed his own Spirit Gun right towards Corey. It was way bigger and more powerful then Corey's own Spirit Gun, and it hit him dead on, sending the younger version spiraling through the air and back another forty feet and then tumbling another ten.

Corey lay there, unable to move. It wasn't because he was too injured…the attack, although powerful, didn't seem to hurt him at all. He couldn't even feel physical pain. The evidence now was clear on who this person was. The only two people that could use the Spirit Gun to Corey's knowledge were himself and Yusuke, but his old mentor had been dead for years.

This man really was Corey Kartana…an evil Corey.

Dark Kartana.

"I just…can't believe it…" Corey said quietly.

"Believe it, kid." Kartana said as he walked over to his younger self. "This is what you become."

"No…" Corey slowly picked himself up. "I won't allow it."

Kartana glared at him. "You don't have a choice!" The elder Corey reached down and grabbed Corey by his neck and tightened his fingers around the young man's throat, choking him. Corey instinctively grabbed at Kartana's wrist.

"Hmph. You don't even deserve to be a replica of me." Kartana scoffed, continuing to choke Corey. "You're pathetic."

"F-f-fuck…you…" Corey struggled to say, still grabbing at Kartana's wrists.

"Hmm? You say something? I couldn't hear you very well!" Kartana laughed. His laughter enraged Corey even more. Just the way it sounded angered the young man.

"Fuck…you!!!" Corey yelled. With a flash of spiritual energy, Corey threw back his leg and delivered a powerful kick directly into the evil man's stomach. He winced, giving Corey the upper hand. He quickly freed himself and gave a powerful right punch into Kartana's right jaw. The blow to the face did not seem to even phase the man.

Kartana grinned darkly. "That was quite an attack…if I were a weakling, I'd probably be in pain."

Corey coughed a little, allowing air to come back into his lungs. "That's…nothing…"

"Is that right? You're going to fight me, are you?"

"Damn right!! I refuse to believe that I'll turn out like you!" Corey yelled, getting his footing ready for a strike.

"So be it." Kartana replied, and pat the hilt of his sword. "I won't even need to draw this to beat you."

"Kiss my ass!" Corey roared and charged at Kartana. He swiftly threw a right jab at his opponent's neck, but the dark warrior easily caught it with his right hand. Growling, Corey swung his left foot and delivered a heavy kick to Kartana's ribs. The man stumbled slightly, but regained his balance before Corey even had a chance to deliver another blow. Kartana swung a punch at his younger self with his left fist, but Corey ducked and uppercut his opponents under chin.

"I'll kill you!!" Corey yelled as he delivered the blow.

Kartana laughed as he was hit. "I think that's called suicide!!"

"Up yours!" Corey jumped back and held out his right hand, extending both his index and his middle finger and began to charge spiritual energy into them.

"Ah, the Double Barrel Spirit Gun. I remember inventing that." Kartana said in a nostalgic manor.

"Yeah?! Well now you'll know how it feels!!" Corey shot the blast nearly point blank at Kartana, who made no attempt to dodge or block. The attack hit dead on, and the affects of the blast caused Corey to be thrown backwards, sliding about fifteen feet. He stopped himself and grit his teeth, watching.

Did it work? He thought to himself, keeping a close eye out for Kartana.

"Nice shot…" came his answer from behind him. Corey quickly turned to look, but was hit with a painful punch to his face.

"Gah!!" Corey cried out, flying backwards. The intensity of the punch made him fly over one hundred feet, and slide another twenty. He finally came to a stop, and let his head fall limp to the side. There, he saw Derek's dead body lying beside him.

Derek…fuck…I'm sorry, bro…I…damn it…I don't know what to do…He thought to himself. He knew Kartana would be walking towards him. Probably slowly, just to mock his younger and obviously weaker self.

What…can I do? I can't win…how is he…me…so strong?

And then it dawned on him.

"The power…sphere…"

The answer was so obvious to him now. It was the power sphere that did all of this. It was Corey's obsession for more power over these past couple years of being in the future, and his feeling of weakness for not being stronger then some others.

"This is…my fault…" Corey said to Derek's corpse, tears rolling down his bloody face. "It was my own damn obsessions that caused this…" His eyes began to roll upward, when he spotted a glimmering next to Derek.

His katana.

I…I could use it. I could get the Sacred Energy once again… He thought to himself, but then another thought came over him.

That's what started this in the first place…the power of the mixture of spiritual and demonic energy…but…but it's the only way. Derek? What do I do?

"Fight."

"Huh?" Corey asked. He could have sworn he had just heard Derek's voice…but Derek was dead, wasn't he?

"Fight, Corey. You have too."

"Derek?"

Corey closed his eyes, but what he saw wasn't darkness, but his friends. All of them. Derek. Liz. John. Jade. Gero. Arthur. Everyone from the Rebel Base. They were all watching him…and they were smiling.

"You…want me to fight? But…this is my fault."

"No, Corey." Derek told him. "You know now, right? You know what abusing power will do. Pick up my katana and use the power. I know you'll control it."

"Derek…"

"You can do it, Corey." Jade told him, smiling.

"Do it for us!" John said, grinning.

"We believe in you." Liz encouraged.

"You guys…" Corey opened his eyes, and slowly lifted his body up to a sitting position. He could see Dark Kartana walking towards him, grinning widely.

"Well…if you guys say so…" Corey said quietly, getting into a squatting position.

"You looked pretty messed up, kiddo." Kartana shouted, continuing his walk towards Corey.

"Yea…I bet so…" Corey muttered, "But now it's your turn."

Kartana stopped about fifteen feet away from his younger self. "Still thinking cocky, eh? Ha! You really are me!"

Corey glared at him. "I am not you…at least, I'm not going to let myself be…"

"Oh? So you're just going to be a weak ass, huh? Pathetic."

"No!" Corey shouted. "I won't be weak, because I'm not going to make the same mistake as you!"

Kartana raised a brow. "Oh yeah? And what mistake was that?"

Corey gave his older self a bloody grin. "I'm not going to forget my friends, and the power that they give me!!" Corey then jumped sideways towards Derek's body, and grabbed the katana that lay beside him.

In a flash, the demonic energy that Derek had been putting into his blade entered Corey's body, mixing with his own spiritual energy. He let the energy explode around him, and the combination of blue and red changed into gold, giving Corey once again the Sacred Energy of a mixed human and demon.

"So…going to do that again, are you?" Kartana asked, but Corey could see a look of worry finally enter the evil man's eyes.

"You bet. Thanks to you, I learned that I can't only rely on myself. My friends are my strength!!"

Exploding with a new power and a new resolve, Corey charged forward towards Kartana, who drew his black blade and clashed swords with Corey. The effects of the clash were massive, sending blue and gold energy everywhere around the two. They broke apart, and began battling with blades, slashing back and forth to try and take down the other.

"Do you think you can win?!" Kartana yelled.

"I have to!!" Corey screamed back. The two leapt back and began to focus energy into their swords, and then swung the blades, unleashing two powerful Spirit Slashes at one another. The energies collided in the center of the valley, ripping up the ground around them. Corey continued to pour energy into the attack, refusing to give up.

I have to win!! For Derek! For Liz! Jade! John! Everyone!!!

And then, everything went white.

Corey felt his body floating in dead space. His body felt numb. All around him he could only see white.

Then, a voice entered his head.

"I will always be waiting for you to weaken. You won't win this easily, Corey Kartana! "

A grin came on Corey's lips as he felt his eyes get heavier.

"You wont…get a chance…to win…"

And the Corey fell into a dead sleep, unaware of what his fate would be.

******

Corey and Derek both opened their eyes uneasily, as if waking up from a drugged sleep. They looked around, and saw that their small fire in the little clearing of the woods was still going, as if both of them had only been sleeping for seconds. They made eye contact with each other.

"Was that…a dream?" Derek asked, unsure of what to say.

Corey smiled very slightly, and shook his head. "No…I don't know what happened, but I don't think we were dreaming."

"So it happened to you, too?" Derek asked, slowing standing up.

"Yeah…" Corey replied quietly, getting up as well. They both seemed to know that what had just happened had happen to the other, as well. They both also knew not to ask the other what had happened, as if it were some silent taboo.

"I think we should leave, Corey." Derek suggested.

Corey nodded. "Yeah…but I know one thing…I won't forget."

Derek smiled. "Me neither. Let's go, pal."

"Right." He walked over to his friend and held out his right hand. "For love."

"And for war."