(A/N) The next chapter's here! And not a moment too soon! Now for...

Vanellope - You do the same routine every time we start this thing. Let's switch it up!

ME - How'd you get in here?!

Vanellope - I let myself in.

Me - Get back in the story!

Vanellope - I want to help you out! Come on! Pweases? *makes a cute face*

Me - Ok! Fine!

Me - CHAPTAH STARTO!

Vanellope - VANILLA PANCAKES!

Me - Now you're gettin it!

Chapter 9

Another Day At The Office

Ray and Justin exited Wreck-it Ralph to see a sight similar to Ray's first visit to the Station.

Benches were broken into pieces and signs were undistinguishable.

"Where's the troublemaker?" Ray inquired as he walked through the empty station.

"Right here, chumps!" said a familiar, yet distorted voice.

"Sarah?!" Justin shouted as he walked up to her.

"I'm not Sarah... I her dark counterpart. Call me Haxaras. I was created by Ashton to help the League of Shadows take over the arcade!"

"What?! Where'd he get that power?!"

"The League took the remains of his gauntlet and turned it into a weapon that creates dark clones of codemasters Ashton once knew." she replied as she pointed at Ray.

"And somehow during the exorcism, he gained another unique power, but you won't be getting anymore info from me."

"Grr... Codemaster! I'm gonna wreck it!" Ray's armor appeared and he charged the shadow.

"Dark Code Card! Shadow Burn!" She crushed the card and threw dark fireballs at him, but he dodged just in time to trip her.

She swung at him with flaming fists, but he deflected them and punched her in the gut.

He tried to kick her, but she ducked and sent a shockwave of darkness at him, sending him flying.

"Next level time! X Mode Activate!" He began to charge the energy, but the transformation just wouldn't start.

"What's the deal?"

"Well, well, well. Looks like you're having trouble controlling X Mode. I guess it was a fluke you beat my master. You're a joke!"

"Justin! Get in this! I need your help!"

"But what will happen to Sarah? This may be a part of her we're fighting. From what I've read..."

Ray cut him off before he could finish that sentence. "You need to get your head out of the books and onto the battlefield if you're gonna be a great Codemaster! And if you remember what it said earlier, you'd remember it's just a shadow, a darker avatar of her. So let's go!"

Ray charged again, but was paralyzed on the spot. "What's this?!"

"My Darkness Hold! You're not going anywhere!"

"Damn it! Justin! It's up to you!"

"Me?!"

"Yes you! Get out there!"

"Alright then! Codemaster! Go!" the armor appeared and he charged Dark Sarah.

"They threw punch after punch, blow after blow, but Haxaras's attacks were doing more damage due to the fact that Shadow Burn was still in effect.

"You're wearing down, little nerd! Looks like bookworm needs to stay in class!"

Something clicked inside of him at this statement.

"Your brain is your strongest asset. You may be timid and shy, but you're quick and can think on your feet. You have been chosen as one of The Legendary 5. Justin the Wise. Awaken to your power." Codemaster X's words echoed in Justin's mind.

"Well this bookworm is about to teach you something! Class is in session!" Justin hopped back and threw a hand up summoning wind and threw his other hand up summoning ice.

"I may be as free flowing as the wind, or as cool as ice at one point, but I can also be as cold and unforgiving." His box began to glow as a new card replaced his old one.

"Code Card! Elemental Bow!" He crushed the card and the same futuristic bow appeared, but it had a wind symbol and an ice symbol on its ends.

"Take this!" He shot a group of icy arrows at her, but she dodged just in time.

"Uh uh uh..." Justin joked as she backed herself into a corner.

The arrows changed direction and froze her feet to the spot.

"What?! But I was just owning you? What happened?"

"You could say I... found my element."

"Dude... Leave the battle puns to me." Ray spoke as he facepalmed.

"Ok... Fire!" He shot a blast of air that sent Dark Sarah flying.

"Final Strike! Icy Wind!"

He pulled back and sent a sub-zero blast of ice and wind at her, destroying her in the process.

"I did it!" Justin shouted as his armor disappeared.

"Looks like someone's loosening up." Ray joked as he approached Justin.

"Yeah. Just a bit."

"You should be getting back now. It's getting late." Ray restored the station to its former glory and all the games unlocked.

"Why didn't your X-Mode work this time?" Justin inquired as Ray sat down on a bench.

"I don't know. I hope it starts working again soon."

"Doubt it." said a voice from behind him.

"Ashton! You dirty rat!"

"It's nice to see you too, Ray."

"You've got 10 seconds to get out or I'll..."

"Or you'll what? As long as I've got this, you can't touch me!" Ashton bellowed as he held up a sphere that had Ray's name on it.

"Know what it is? It represents a piece of you. When you blasted me, I released it while I was still connected to Ralph. I also can do this!" Ashton grew into the Shadow Wrecker.

"As long as I've got a piece of you, you've got no X Mode... unless you can pass The Trial." As he said those words, Ashton faded into darkness.

"What's The Trial? Justin?"

"The Trial is the only way a Codemaster that has lost something can regain it. It's one of the most dangerous and psychologically damaging trials ever! No one's ever made it back alive."

"So... where do I go?"

"Wait... You're going?!"

"He has a piece of me! Of course I'm going!"

"Very well, you must clear your mind and sleep on it."

"Doesn't seem like a dangerous journey to me."

"Just go to Ralph's house and sleep thinking about the part of you that's missing. I'm going home to rest." Justin teleported away leaving Ray to think.

"So Ashton took a piece of you from me?" Ralph inquired as he held Ray in his arms.

"Yeah... He stole it right before he got vaporized."

"You gave me a piece of you? Oh, Ray." Ralph nibbled on Ray's neck causing him to squirm.

"Ralph... stop it..." Ray cooed playfully.

"No"

"Come on..."

"But I like making you squirm."

"Well, I've got to get to sleep or I'll never get that part of me back."

"Ok... Party pooper." Ralph joked as he went back to cuddling Ray closely. Ray fell asleep thinking about the missing piece of his soul.

A splash of water woke Ray up from his sleep.

"I'M UP! I'M UP!" He shouted as he took in his surroundings.

He was in a dense forest with a path etched into the ground.

"You know you snore, right?" said a 19 year old, 6'3, toned man in a tree.

"Huh? No I don't!"

"Yeah... You do."

"Who are you?"

"I am Spartarainicus, but you can call me Steve."

"Ok... Steve. Is this The Trial?"

"Depends... Are you here to take it?"

"Yes."

"Then this is what you seek." Steve hopped out of the tree and faced Ray.

"You must defeat 5 of us to pass the trial. I am the test of endurance. Are you ready?"

"Yes I am!" Ray took a fighting stance in front of Steve and charged him.

Ray sent a punch to Steve's chest, but he blocked it and sent a kick to Ray's side which was also deflected.

They fought for 10 minutes straight, neither of them giving an inch, but Steve slipped up and Ray took that oppourtunity to send a jab to his side.

"Very good, Ray. You passed the test of endurance. This might've been the longest fight you'll have today, besides the last one, so good luck!" He disappeared into thin air as Ray continued down the path.

Ray passed the test of Strength by destroying a mountain in one blow, he passed the test of Courage by laughing in a lion's face, and he passed the test of Perseverance by bugging the test giver to let him pass in 18 different languages(several of them made-up), but the last test would be the toughest of all.

He walked into a hut at the end of the trail to find a woman no older than 25 with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I'm glad you could join me, Ray. I am Gabrielle. I have the missing piece of your soul right here, oops!" The woman dropped the ball into a portal on the ground.

"What'd you do?" Ray queried as he walked over to the portal.

"I just prepared your last trial. Find the ball in the portal and it'll fuse back with the rest of your soul. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!"

Ray jumped into the multi-colored portal and braced himself for a rough landing.

He landed in a pile of bricks a few yards from the Niceland Condominiums.

"The portal sent me here?"

"Hey! Get off my bricks!" a familiar voice shouted as 2 huge fists sprouted from the wreckage.

"Ralph?"

"Yeah... Who are you?"

"It's Ray!"

"Ray who?"

"You don't know who I am?"

"Look... whoever you are, I have a Bad-Anon meeting to go to so leave."

Ralph shoved Ray out the way and left on the trolley to GCS.

"Ralph living on bricks... Bad-Anon... Doesn't remember me... Holy Crap! I'm in the past!"

Nice Chappy huh? Next one soon!

Preview: Ray follows Ralph to Bad Anon and overhears his dilemma. He wants to help, but doesn't want to change the past... too much. Apparently if he just follows Ralph throughout his adventure, he should find his soul piece. But with Ralph taking the path he's chosen, can Ray just stand by and let whatever happens happen? STAY TUNED!