Reign of Darkness
Part 9: Final Round: FIGHT!
by: Pikallo

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Well, here we are, the final battle between Ray and Cordran. How will

 Ray fare against the evil Omega? Well, read it and find out dummies!
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	Ray held Abbie's hand as the two turned to leave Cordran's body
 in peace. Though he knew the fiend didn't deserve it, Ray still gave 
him a proper, if not hasty, funeral. But, he still sensed an evil 
disturbance in the Vortex, as if this was not done yet. "I'm just to 
tense, Cordran's dead now, that's that," he thought to himself. Abbie 
turned around and hugged him tightly, "Ray, I love you. Please, don't 
run off like that again." Ray wrapped his arms around his wife and 
smiled, "Don't worry, I won't need to do that again anyway." Ray 
motioned in the air and a portal opened up, then instantly closed 
before he could get to it. 

	"Now now now, don't go trying to run off before I'm done with 
you." Ray turned at once, and saw Cordran standing there. "You're dead, 
again! How are you still here?" Smiling, Cordran looked at Ray, 
"Because, I killed Satan. I have taken his place as ruler of the 
underworld. I am now known as, Omega." Ray watched as Cordran went 
through his usual transformations, then stepped back after Cordran 
became Soldier of the Abyss. "Cordran's power is still rising to fast, 
that form can't hold much more power, and he's already a god, unless, 
he's transformed beyond a god." Cordran laughed, "Yes, Chosen One, I 
have gone beyond that of a god, like I said, I am now know as Omega!" 
Leathery wings grew out of Omega's back, and black horns grew from his 
head. His appearance was wholy that of the worst demons.

	"Now, give me your power, that I may be the strongest in the 
universe! I rule the underworld, but I won't rest untill I storm the 
gates of Heaven and rule that realm as well!" Ray got in front of Abbie 
and Crosses glowed on his head and hands. "My power? How am I supposed 
to give you my power?" Omega laughed, "You honestly don't know, do you? 
The power of the Vortex is passed on like that of immortals, I kill 
you, and your power goes into me." He then looked at Abbie and he 
licked his lips with anticipation, "How lovely, Chosen One, you have 
given me another power to take, when the power matures." Ray looked at 
Abbie in confusion, "She has no Vortex power other than a power ring, 
what can you hope to get from her?" Omega just laughed again, "Naive 
Chosen One, it is not your woman I want, it is the child growing in her 
womb!" 

	Ray turned to Abbie in shock, she just smiled innocently, "Ray,
 sweety, I've been meaning to tell you this, but, I never could find 
the right time. Ray, I'm pregnant." Needless to say, Ray's jaw went 
through the floor at this. But, instead of loosing hope, or spazing 
out, Ray turned toward Cordran. "Thank you, 'friend,' you have now 
given me the will to face you, even though you are more powerful. 
Because I now have two people to keep safe, not just one. TRANSFORM: 
WARRIOR OF THE CROSS!" 

	A blue aura engulfed Ray as his clothes turned to robes, and
 his hair spiked blue. He held in one hand the staff form of the Blade 
of Darkness. Without further warning, Ray lunged Omega at full speed, 
but he was dodged without effort. "He's fast," Ray thought, "But is he 
strong?" His question was answered by a fist to the back of his head, 
that sent his flying. Ray pulled out of the dive right as Omega turned 
and raised a foot, he had thrown Ray all the way around the planet. 
Omega looked down on Ray and frowned, "A pity, you are no longer a 
challenge to me. Since you are not any fun, I will kill you and get 
this over with!" Omega created a fire-sword while holding Ray up to the 
wall. "DIE!" Ray felt a sharp pain go through his chest, he looked down 
in disbelief. Ray closed his eyes and fell limp, but he was still help 
up by the sword through his heart.

	"Hello? Is anyone there?" He stood in an endless room of white.
 "Is it over? Have I lost? Have I failed...the world...God...Abbie...my 
child?" Ray was suddenly aware of a presence behind him. "You have not 
failed, yet. Only when you believe you have failed, will it be over." 
Ray turned to see a figure clad in shining gold armor. "Michaelangelo, 
I presume," Ray said with a smirk. Michael did not return the air of 
jest, "You do not understand the seriousness of this situation. You are 
the first of the great." He pointed to Ray's chest, and a cross 
necklass floated out from under his shirt. "Do you remember this?" Ray 
held it in his hand, and it became a sword. "The Sword of the Cross, 
how could I forget it? I used it to fight Supreme Destroyer as well as 
your fallen brother, Saraphim. Albiet that time with the help of the 
others." Michael jestured and the sword became a necklass again. "You 
were given that for a purpose, but, it's power is fading. That is why 
it took the four of you to form it the last time. It's power is too low 
for the sword to be created again with any power in it. However, it has 
the power to do one more thing. You began to do what you is needed to 
do that one thing, but, for the true power to be unleashed, the old 
must become one with the new." 

	Ray puzzled over this, "Uh, could you just flat out tell me 
this? I really don't have time to figure this out." Michael stared back 
and replied, "You are pitiful, if I were able to question the Master, I 
would wonder why He chose you. You are not even worthy of carrying my 
name. 'Warrior who resembles God' indeed." Ray looked at Michael with 
resentment. "If I'm not mistaken, humans are held in higher regard with 
God than the angels. But, you are not the one I must fight, Omega is. 
So, if you are done with me, I will be going." Ray started to walk 
away, but, stopped. "Uh, how do I get out of here?" Michael motioned 
with a hand, and Ray fell into a white tunnel, back to earth.

	Moments after Ray was killed, Omega turned to Abbie. "So, the 
Chosen One chose you as his bride? Not bad, hehe, not bad at all." 
Abbie took a fighting stance, and transformed into Love Angel. "Oh HO! 
So, your man has given you some pointers! HAHAHA, useless against me 
though!" A voice came from behind Omega. "She is not one of the four, 
or an imposter of the four. She should not have a form higher than 
super-human." Ray stood there in white satin robes. Abbie and Omega 
looked at him in shock, then, they both looked to his dead body still 
hanging from the far wall.

	"Wow, okay. I was kinda expecting to come back in my body." Ray 
looked at himself, "So, this is the new body that we get, but, wasn't 
that supposed to be during the Rapture? Oh well, OMEGA! WE AREN'T 
FINISHED YET!" Ray lept foreward and attacked with a flurry of punches 
and kicks. Omega seemed to have a harder time dodging Ray's attacks. 
Omega created another fire-sword and attacked with it, Ray held his 
hand out to create a weapon of his own....and nothing happend. "What? 
It's like I'm not complete yet." He began to think of Michael's words. 
"For the true power to be unleashed, the old must become one with the 
new. The old must become one with the new...." Ray looked to his former 
body, and realized what he had to do. Walking over to his dead body, he 
took the sword out and placed his hand on the chest. "The old, must 
become one with the new." A glow appeared around the two, and they 
fused to one being. The new Ray stood with a glowing aura around him. 
He traced out the Star of David in the air, and the same symbol 
appeared centered around him. He then drew the Blade of the Chosen One, 
and the blades extended out to form a cross shape. Ray grinned and 
winked at Omega, then thrust his sword into the center of the star on 
the ground. A pillar of light appeared and engulfed Ray.

	When the light faded, Ray stood there in a new body. His hair
 was golden, and flowed like that of a Greecean god to his waist, but
 retained a spikey nature. He was taller, and was draped in a white
 cloak. Omega looked at him and laughed, "Is that all your 
transformation yeilded? Pitiful frankly." Ray looked at him,
 and in response his cape began to get seperations in it, small lines
 that slowly began to take the shape of feathers. With glowing eyes,
 his cape unfolded to reveal that it was actually a set of white
 wings. "Omega, as you chose to rely on no one to gain your power
, I have chosen to reply fully on the power of God. You have chosen 
to be free to sin, I am free from sin. You are the Omega, 
I am Holy Chosen One!"

	Cordran looked at Ray with less than impress. "You still have 
not impressed me, your power seems very little more than that of 
Warrior of the Cross." Ray merely motioned for Cordran to try 
something. Without further provocation, Codran lunged at Ray with his 
sword, but, Ray merely caught the blade in his hand and threw the 
weapon aside. "You must be able to try harder than that, if you wish to 
kill me, Cordran." Ray punched his opponent and sent him flying across 
the room. With wings flapping slowly, Ray flew across with the room 
with unfathomable speed. Cordran got up laughing. "Very well done, 
showing me your true power all at once, you want to end this quickly I 
take it. Unfortunatly for you, I have not yet begun to fight!" Cordran 
took a step back and his power increased rapidly. Soon, his body began 
to grow to accomodate the power now residing in his body. Ray flew to 
Abbie and wrapped her in his wings to protect her from the power 
radiating out of Cordran. When he was fully powered, Cordran stood 
twenty feet tall, with long leathery wings and horns growing from his 
head. "YOU WILL DIE!"


	Cordran's fist moved with increadible speed and Ray was unable
 to dodge. He wrapped his wings tighter around Abbie to absorb the blow 
to her, and was eventually able to stop his flight. "Cordran's still 
stronger than I am. This angel form is not enough," Ray thought to 
himself as he flew in for an attack, "Angels are supposed to be 
stronger than demons. But, what is higher than an angel? God? No, 
that's not going to happen. It must be something else." Ray created two 
energy blades and attacked with them, but Cordran was easily able to 
take that little bit of punishment, so, Ray put them side by side and 
the transformed from two glowing rods of light into a massive 
broadsword. "SWORD OF JUSTICE!" Ray attacked with greater fury, swiping 
up, down, diagnally, and anything else he could try. All the while 
though, he was thinking. "Cordran is a demon, I'm an angel. Cordran 
looks just like me, he has my exact powers. Why is he stronger?" Ray 
stopped in mid-fight with a revalation, "He has my appearance, my 
powers, all data on him came from Kun bases or Kun controlled areas of 
Nexus Central Command." Ray looked at Cordran and smiled, now he 
understood everything.

	A vision appeared to him while floating there, "You have 
figured it out on your own, warrior. Now, go forth and vanquish this 
foe. But do not do so as I am. You must defeat him as yourself." Ray 
turned to Michael and nodded, "I understand. I know what I must do." 
Ray was returned to the battle and landed softly. He looked to Cordran 
and nodded grimly. "I know how to defeat you. You can still give up, 
but I dought you will." Cordran looked down at Ray curiously, "YOU 
THINK I WILL GIVE UP TO YOU?! PREPARE TO DIE!" Ray stood his ground, 
but his wings dissapeared and he returned to a normal form. "HUMAN 
FORM!" Cordran laughed, now was his chance. He created a 30 foot fire 
sword and sent it flying into Ray, who didn't even try to move.

	Ray caught the sword effortlessly between his hands. "Cordran,
 I said I was in human form, I never said I wasn't Holy Chosen One." 
Ray again threw Cordran's sword to the side. Cordran screamed with rage 
and tried to punch Ray, but, Ray's small open palm stopped Cordran's 
giant fist with ease. At that moment, Cordran felt the true power in 
Ray's body, and realed back in horror. "You want to hear a story my old 
friend? While dead, I gained some insights into the two of us. Do you 
know where I found the legend of the Dark Chosen One? I found it in an 
Exar Kun controlled based. Any concurrent information was found in 
computers that have been recently found to have been hacked and altered 
by the Dimensional Destroyers during their controll of Nexus Central 
Command." Cordran felt strange, but, didn't stop Ray's speech just yet. 
"I also found that the Guardians never even knew of the existance of 
your home untill after you appeared. That's becuase it was created 
exactly 10 years ago. Right after I first met Kun, by the way. Can you 
tell where I'm going?" Cordran glared down at Ray, but remained silent. 
"I'm getting to the point that, you Cordran, are nothing more than MY 
CLONE!"

	"That's right, you are my clone. You were created by Exar Kun,
 who knew that even with all seven destroyer rings he would not have 
the power to defeat the Chosen One. His dimension is the one that 
pioneered cloning, and transfering essence into a cloned body. He had 
planned on training you, cultivating your power till you were a match 
for me. But, he didn't anticipate fighting me, along with the other six 
Supreme Guardians, so soon. You were left to be trained by a computer, 
and he had to find a new way to take over your body. He did so by 
throwing his essence into the Ultimate Destroyer ring. Now more 
commonly known as the Sword of Darkness. But, you know that part better 
than I do. Another side effect appears to be that there is a finite 
amount of power available to the Chosen One. You somehow have managed 
to constantly take dominace over me and gain the higher percentage of 
power. That would lead to the conclusion that you could be the true 
Chosen One. However, you were right, when one of us dies, the other 
will gain the infinite power of the Chosen One." Ray stood there calmly 
after finishing, while Cordran began to loose all controll as pure rage 
filled his mind. "I AM NOT YOUR CLONE! THE ONLY ONE THAT COULD BE A 
CLONE IS YOU!!! I WILL HAVE MY ULTIMATE POWER, YOU ARE NOTHING!!! I AM 
GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

	Ray waited for Cordran's tirade ended to make his move. He felt
 his power increase, as Cordran's slowly lessened. "Do you feel it? I 
am gaining my old power back, I am the true warrior to hold this power. 
I now know what you are made of, and what I am made of. I know what 
this awesome power is you posses, because it is mine. Cordran, you are 
a mockery of me. And, you only think you are the ruler of Hell. You 
wounded Satan, but, you did not kill him. That is for another to do." 
Abbie was looking on from behind a broken wall. She felt it too, Ray 
was getting stronger and stronger while Cordran's power diminished by 
the second. She had never seen Ray at his fullest, she didn't even know 
of the Gaurdians at the time. This was fairly exciting for her. She 
always had heard of the ability her husband had once, and she always 
wanted to see it. Now was he chance.

	"You know, I realize now why this was allowed to happen, I was
 a loose canon, only 15 years old when I was given the power to destroy 
all of reality. That was fine and dandy for short bursts of at least 
semi-controlled rage. But, I was too dangerous. The last 10 years have 
served to teach me to controll my power. To harness it in the exact 
quantity I need to win a battle. To vaporize a planet, or cut a pinhole 
in a piece of paper. Now, let me show you how to unleash the power of 
the Vortex. YOU ARE THE IMPOSTER, I AM THE CHOSEN ONE!"

	Ray felt like he hadn't in ten long years. He felt that a hole
 hidden deep in his soul was finally filled. He stood facing Cordran 
with his clothes shredded, his hair mussed up, and his body scared. He 
knew this feeling, it had happened only three times in his short life. 
He felt the power of the universe flood his body, and once again knew 
who he was. He was Michael Ray Doss: Supreme Guardian, Professor, 
Husband, Chosen One, and now most important to him, Father. "For the 
universe, for God, for Abbie, and for my unborn child, I am the Chosen 
One. I now will crush you once and for all!" Cordran powered up with 
what was left of his power. "I am not finished yet, Doss. I still am
 Omega. I will still destroy you!" Cordran and Ray put their hands at 
their sides simulatinously. Ray screamed, "DIMENSIONAL" Cordran created 
a point of energy in his hands, "OMNI" Ray felt his energy increase, 
"POWER" Cordran began to move his hands foreward "BLAST:" Both threw 
their opened palms foreward and finished the attack, "FIRE!!!!!!!!!!" 

	The two beams colided and stopped in centered between them.
 Cordran was putting all his power into it, and still kept pushing more 
energy into it. Ray was putting forth alot of effort, but, couldn't 
seem to gain an advantage. Kouesi kept hidden beside Abbie and silently 
prayed for her master. Abbie looked on with tears, she knew Ray could 
do it. In Nexus Central Command, Shane and Mac looked on sitting on the 
edge of their seat. Neither could blink as the hoped for the best for 
their friend. Frag sat at the helm of Gomisaki, and though he couldn't 
exactly see what was going on, he sensed the power surging through that 
one point in space and had an idea what was going on. Ray marveled at 
how he could feel all of this taking place, and he smiled. His friends, 
his loved ones, they all believed in him. Knowing this, he could now 
believe in himself. He felt the tear form in his eye, and felt it 
incinerate as it touched his skin. "Thank you, all of you. You are the 
reason I exist. I am here to protect all of you. You are my family, my 
brothers, my sisters, my wife, my child. I WILL NOT FAIL YOU NOW!" His 
power increased as he screamed, "SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OMNI-POWER BLAST: 
SAVE!" The beam increased ten fold in size and power. It swallowed 
Cordran's attack without effort, and Cordran felt his body being torn 
apart at the molecular level. "How did this happen? I was the Chosen 
One, not Doss. IT WAS ME!!!!!!!!" 

	Ray's body was ravaged, his mind was torn, his emotions at
 thier peak, but he had won. It was finally over, the dark presence in 
the Vortex had been wiped out. With what little of his strength 
remained, he pulled out the Sword of Darkness, and watched as the 
pentagram and tetragram inside it rotated to point up, not down. The 
zodiac disapeared altogether, and the blade turned crystal in color. It 
was done, his job was finished. He fell foreward and passed out in the 
most blissful sleep he had since the battle with Saraphim. 

	Abbie ran to him and layed his head in her lap. She saw him
 bleeding out of what seemed like every pour in his body. She used 
every healing power she had, but, nothing worked. "Kouesi, ship mode. 
We need to get him somewhere where he can be treated. I know just the 
place."