Whew... That was close!

Vanellope - Fangirls again?

Me - They just won't leave me alone!

Vanellope - Did you try working the shaft?

Me - No one's gonna get that joke! Try again.

Vanellope - Did you try poking it with a stick?

Me - That's not even a thing... in America.

Vanellope - You realize no one's gonna get that joke either, right?

Me - Screw the rules! I have money!

Vanellope - -_- okay... On Your Marks... Get Set... CHAPTAH!

Chapter 15

The Darkness Within

Ray charged Sephiroth with his Thunderblade and clashed against his saber repeatedly, neither side giving an inch.

Meanwhile, Justin was dodging piles of rubble being chucked at him by the Shadow Wrecker as he shot arrow after arrow just barely missing his mark each time.

Ray hopped over Sephiroth and slashed his one black wing at the connector, but that only made him madder as he dealt a rapid thrust combo to Ray with the latter barely dodging in time.

"This is getting me nowhere! X Mode Activate!" Ray barked as the X's graced his armor.

"X Blade Power!" As their swords clashed, sparks flew from Ray's sword.

"Enough!" Sephiroth beamed as he sliced Ray's blade in half. As Ray dodged thrust after thrust from his opponent's sword, he could faintly hear his protege summoning his Code Change powers.

"Weak points? Where are you?" Justin asked himself as his glasses scanned his enemy.

"AHA!" He shouted as he shot an ice arrow directly at the Shadow Wrecker's feet.

"Whoa... That's cool..." The latter commented as he shivered on the spot.

"Finisher! Icy Wind!" Justin yelled as he dealt the finishing blow to Shadow Wrecker, turning him back into Ashton.

"Well if I can't beat you, you're going down with me!" Ashton bellowed as he dashed at Justin, got him in a bear hug, and exploded 2 seconds later.

"JUSTIN!" Ray shouted as he watched the scene before him.

"You took my student and best friend away from me..." Ray stated as he disengaged his armor.

"If I can't defeat you using my X Mode, I still have one other option." Ray took his gauntlet and dropped it on the floor as it began playing heavy metal. (End of Heartache- Killswitch Engage)

His body was enveloped in a dark aura and he began chanting in an unknown language.

The air around him and Sephiroth got thicker by the minute.

"This is the true power of the Shadow Paladin. The reason my grandpa wanted my dad to train me. I am the prince of Darkness! I am almighty! The darkness has taken hold and it feels good!"

"Ray..." Ralph whispered to himself as he watched his beloved turn into a monster.

Ray's arms became more buff, his hair became longer, and his smile, instead of a genuine happy smile, became an evil grin.

"Do you like me now?! HUH!" Ray barked as 2 blades made of pure darkness appeared in his hands.

They began to clash again, but Sephiroth was having trouble keeping up with Ray's strikes.

"Shadow Lightning!" He chanted as he pointed the swords at the villain and vaporized him completely as the song ended, leaving only a black ink stain where he once was.

"I am now the ruler of the Big 4 of Litwak's! First the arcades will bow to me, then the world!" He ranted as he started shooting lightning at random.

"Am I late for the party?" A voice said from behind Ralph. "Sarah?! Oh, thank goodness! Something's wrong with Ray! I think he's fallen to the darkness!" Ralph blubbered but was snapped out of it by a quick slap to the face courtesy of Sarah.

"Calm it down. I know how to stop this." She stepped forward and pulled out a shiny silver chain with a flash drive on the end of it. She held it out and chanted,

"If one shall conquer the darkness, one must be in tune with another, with the power of earth and thunder. One must love someone with all their heart, now their true love must complete the final part!"

She jammed the flash drive into Ralph's hand and threw him at Ray.

As soon as they connected, a blinding flash covered the room and trapped them in a bubble of energy.

"It's all up to Ralph now." Sarah commented as she sat outside and waited for the results, all the while, Justin was slowly inching his way over to her, harshly wounded but still alive.

Ralph walked down a light blue corridor as he searched for Ray.

"Where are you babe?!" He barked as he heard fighting from the end of the hall.

When Ralph reached the room, he saw a dark purple version of Ray fighting regular Ray.

"Give in to the darkness! It feels good!" Shadow Ray jested as he dodged punches and jabs.

"Never! I'll never become him! You can't make me!" He barked back as he got a good shot in to the doppelganger's chest.

"Why do you resist me so? Why must you stop my every move?"

"Because he doesn't want to be evil. I should know. I was in his shoes once." Ralph explained as he entered the room.

"Ralph!"

"Let's do this babe... together!" Ralph beamed as he charged Shadow Ray with a fist cocked back.

"You see that? That's mine." Ray joked as he threw Shadow Ray up into the air and Ralph decked him into the wall.

"Ready?"

"Ready!" Ray launched off of Ralph and kicked Shadow Ray in the face causing him to bounce up a bit which set Ralph up to uppercut him into the ceiling.

"Finisher! Thunderforce!" Ray shouted as he sent jolt after jolt into Shadow Ray causing him to fry up on the floor.

"Congratulations... You've gained control over the darkness in your heart. You have taken the first step to mastering Beta Master mode." The fake coughed out before he dissolved into the floor.

"Ray... You feel all right?" Ralph inquired as his lover cracked his neck. "Never better! Now let's get out of here."

Sarah sat outside the bubble with Justin resting on her side waiting until Ray and Ralph returned, but she was getting impatient.

"Ugh! What's taking so long! This is like waiting for theblacksnorlax to upload!"

"Hey! No breaking the fourth wall!"

"Sorry..."

Seconds later, the 2 lovebirds descended and fell flat on their faces.

"Not my smoothest landing." Ray commented as he stood up.

"You should've seen me in Sugar Rush the other day. Talk about bad falls."

"Whatever! This one tops that one by a mile!"

"Nu uh!"

"Uh huh!" They went back and forth for a bit until Sarah smacked them both upside the head.

"We got an injured Codemaster here! Pay attention much?!"

"Justin!" Ray squealed as he hugged the air from his student's lungs.

"Need... air..."

"Sorry."

1 week later...

"Okay... Open your eyes!" Ray instructed as Ralph walked into the penthouse.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday!" a group of characters yelled as the lights flickered on.

"You remembered!"

"Like I'd forget my boyfriend's birthday!"

"This is amazing! You got everything!"

"Not everything..." Ray corrected.

"What's missing?"

"This!" Ray squealed as he pulled a rope and a huge medal floated down.

"What's this?" Ralph queried as he looked at the shiny gold trinket.

"Ray+Ralph 4evr?"

"Yeah... You like it?" Ray queried as he blushed a bit and looked at the ground while rubbing his arm.

His answer came in the form of a lingering kiss that they shared as everyone whooped and hollered around them.

"Dj! Kick a slow jam!" Sarah barked from the crowd.

As the song started, they held onto each other and swayed in the center of the dance floor.

"Doesn't even seem like a week since we defeated the Big 4 together does it?" Ralph whispered as they held onto each other.

"Nope. Because it's been a week, 2 days and 12 minutes."

"Smartypants." Ralph pouted.

"You know you love it."

"Yeah." They stood there for a while until the song ended.

All of a sudden, a rock pierced the silence as it crashed through the window of the penthouse.

"Really?! Felix?"

The handyman quickly patched up the hole and Ray picked up the rock, which just happened to have a note on it. He pulled the note off and read it out loud.

Dear Ray,

Congrats on beating my minions. You're the first to beat all 4 of a single arcade before I could send replacements, but be warned. I will be sending out my elite group of League members to take you down now. Shit just got real.

Sincerely,

Lord Demonfang

Everyone at the party just stared at Ray with beady eyes waiting for his response.

"I say... BRING IT ON! I'M GONNA WRECK IT!"

Good end to Season 1 I say!

Vanellope - Should've had more me in it!

Me - Pipe down!

Vanellope - When's the next chapter gonna be up?

Me - Hopefully soon. I had to post this from the library 0.o

Vanellope - Harsh...

Me - Yeah... So review or my fangirls/boys will hurt you!

Preview: The first Elite Member appears. He's even a match for Ray's X Mode. Will Ray try to go beta, or does he have something else up his sleeve? STAY TUNED!

OK... Hasta!