Chapter Seven: The Dark Lands

Samson must work to prevent dissension from dividing them against each other in time before The Chaos rises. Every planet must also fight him. They only have seven days to stop him...or do they?

Samson and his group of Ancient Xeroxians and Earthlings landed in America on the Natchez Trace Parkway facing the city of Jackson. Instead of half the city being lit and the other half being dark, the entire city was dark and the streets looked to be abandoned. As they stood wondering where everybody went, the ground shook beneath them and began to split in half. A dark silhouette of a dragon rose from the split and roared in their faces. “Leaving so soon?” The Chaos’s asked, his voice booming like thunder.

“Everyone, follow me!” Samson said. He led them away from the dark silhouette and they ran until they finally made it back to planet Xerox.

“Run, run, run, as fast as you can!” The Chaos teased. “Oh, but I can still catch you, my little gingerbread men!” He chuckled as he followed Samson and his group into planet Xerox. He hid deep within the darkest part of The Dark Lands, hoping to bait and switch Samson and his group of Ancient Xeroxians and Earthlings. He knew that the effects of the Serenity Bow will be wearing off soon, so he waited in the darkest part of The Dark Lands hoping to trap Samson and his group there.

Samson led the group through the Magical Forest until they finally came to the Golden Plains. “Prince Smith, do you think you and Jesse could lead us into and through The Dark Lands?” Samson asked.

Prince Smith stepped forward and unsheathed his sword, The Light Sword, which cut through the darkness of the entire Golden Plains with a bright white light, so that he was able to locate the door to The Dark Lands. “Sure, Samson,” he said, “anytime. Jesse, you coming? And you can come too, Ralph. We’ll need your guidance more than ever.”

Ralph smiled, “I thought you’d never ask,” he said as he joined Prince Smith and Jesse. They led Samson and the rest of the group into The Dark Lands. With Prince Smith and Jesse leading the group through The Dark Lands, the darkness wasn’t as thick as before. Prince Smith’s sword, the Light Sword and Jesse’s white fire together cut through the darkness that covered The Dark Lands until it was completely eliminated.

Ralph used his Dark Magic as a remote to manipulate The Dark Lands into leading them towards the Darkness Supreme. The closer they came to their destination, the closer they came to falling into the Lava Pit, which traps anyone who falls into it in eternal damnation. Ralph used his Dark Magic to manipulate The Dark Lands so that they were no longer near the Lava Pit.

“Don’t let me lose any of you guys, okay?” Ralph firmly stated. “I’m serious. The Chaos is getting really desperate now, so I need you guys to stick very close to me or else you’d get lost in the traps.”

“Okay, we’ll do our best,” Koby replied.

Ralph kept leading the group towards the Darkness Supreme, but he stopped abruptly after realizing that the area before them was the River of Banishment. “Whoa,” he said as he held his hands out to prevent Prince Smith and the rest of the group from falling in. Ptolemy grabbed Samson, who stopped short of the River of Banishment. His feet scraped the banks of the River, causing him to almost fall in.

“Ahhh!” Samson cried, struggling to regain his balance.

“Ralph what’s going on? Why are you stopping?” Paradise asked.

Ralph concentrated and before long they stood in front of the Darkness Supreme. “That was the River of Banishment,” Ralph finally said.

“Oh,” Paradise said. “That explains a lot.”

Samson gasped, “Thanks, Ptolemy,” he said, as Ptolemy set him on stable ground and released his grip on him.

“I wasn’t going to let you get away from me that easily,” Ptolemy said, quietly. “There are a lot of things you still need to know.”

“Like, what?” Samson asked, puzzled.

Ptolemy cleared his throat, “Let’s just keep moving,” he said. “Now, that we’re in The Dark Lands, we’re more susceptible to any trick The Chaos may have. We must stay attentive.” 

“What’s the River of Banishment?” Daniel asked.

“I’ll explain on the way,” Ralph said as he led them closer to the Darkness Supreme.

“How can you be sure The Chaos is here?” Tamar asked.

“He’ll be in the darkest part of The Dark Lands, lying in wait for us all,” Ralph said. “Every Ancient Xeroxian knows that the darkest part of The Dark Lands is in the basement below the Darkness Supreme.”

“I thought it was in a cave somewhere,” Samson said.

“No. Anyway, back to the River of Banishment,” Ralph said, “It is one of the worst rivers in the Dark Lands with the River of Oblivion being another terrible River. The Dark Lands makes you choose how you want to spend eternity. It’s either lose your memory completely, be trapped in eternal damnation, or be banished forever, which means, anyone who falls in the River of Banishment will die. Even the memory of them will be completely destroyed. It’ll be as though they were never born. Say, for instance, one of us were to fall into the River, the rest of the group, those who didn’t fall in, will instantly forget that person entirely. Even their immediate family will forget them. It’ll be as though they never existed.”

“That’s terrible,” Koby said.

“That’s why I was determined to keep you guys from falling into the River of Banishment,” Ralph said as he led them towards the entrance to the Darkness Supreme. The ground of The Dark Lands split apart and a dark silhouette rose from within it, followed by a large army of people The Chaos consumed and reanimated for his purpose.

“Did you really think I’d settle for being in one place at once?” The Chaos boomed. “I find that the best battles are fought on all battle fields simultaneously. I don’t have to be only in the darkest part of The Dark Lands. I can be everywhere. How do you think I plan to bring down The Living Circle?”

Samson gasped, Oh no! I’ve totally forgotten about planet Eros and Earth, he thought. Everywhere in The Living Circle, every planet has The Chaos rising on them.

Paradise growled, “What does he mean, the best battles are fought on all battle fields simultaneously?” he asked, cocking his gun.

“He means every planet, everywhere in The Living Circle, fighting The Chaos all at the same time,” Samson sighed. “But, we have enemies in The Living Circle as well as allies. I doubt we’ll get an offer from either of them to rise up against The Chaos.” The Zoros and the Vanderbelts rising up against The Chaos? No way! They came earlier to completely obliterate planet Xerox, so I doubt they’ll give us much help, he thought.

Koby gasped, “So, we’re not enough?” he asked.

Samson growled, “And, neither are me and Jesse,” he grunted. “We need everyone in The Living Circle to battle The Chaos. Not just Earth and Xerox.” I really didn’t see this coming, he thought. How will we get every planet’s help with planet Zierockon being long lost, planet Eros being uninhabitable and planet Zierckonia being displaced from The Ignored System?

Ziero studied Samson for a while, “Hey, don’t worry about it,” he said. “I, Zieroasiea, and Paradise have it covered.”

“Yeah, we have people on all nine planets in the Ignored System that can help us against The Chaos,” Paradise said. I just need to call on the only one who I know can help: Silver, he thought. If he wasn’t bluffing and if Jesse is who and what he says he is then we may have just enough strength to keep The Chaos at bay while we, here on planet Xerox, carry out our mission. But, we have to stall until the Earthlings in our group can get the blessing of planet Xerox. We must.

“Are you sure about this, Paradise?” Ziero asked. “I thought for sure that you, Zieroasiea, and I were the only survivors left of our people. But, if what you say is true…” Alright, I’ll trust you, Paradise, he thought. No matter what.

Paradise and Ziero exchanged looks and seemed to come to an agreement. Paradise tapped his wrist phone and called Zieroasiea. “Hello?” her voice cracked over the speaker. She sounded annoyed.

“Hey, little sis, how are you?” Paradise said.

Zieroasiea growled, “Paradise, you and I are the same age, got it?” she snapped. “So, what do you want? This better be worth my time.”

Paradise smiled and removed himself from the group. He and Zieroasiea talked for a while before he finally returned. “Zieroasiea is on the job,” Paradise reported. “Now, how do we get past The Chaos and inside the Darkness Supreme?”

The Chaos’s laugh boomed throughout The Dark Lands, “Oh, you want to get inside the Darkness Supreme?” he asked. “Why didn’t you just ask?”

A very thick cloud of darkness surrounded them and, in no time at all, they found themselves on the balcony of the Darkness Supreme.

Even on the balcony, the light from Prince Smith’s Light Sword was much dimmer than it was elsewhere in the Dark Lands, which made them unable to anticipate an encounter with the Ill Wind, the Corruption, and Iblis the fiery hedgehog. The Ill Wind rose up and threw a fiery projectile towards Samson and his group. Samson grunted and used his entire might to expand the reach of his shield to conceal himself and those with him inside a deep blue barrier. The fiery projectile dissipated as soon as it came in contact with the blue barrier.

Samson concentrated and called on the power of the four corners of planet Xerox, drawing on the powers of Aurora and Ember. He combined the two powers and produced a flaming boulder from thin air. He threw it at the Corruption and struck the ground beneath their feet with an earthquake of such destructive force that they tumbled through the Darkness Supreme three floors, from the balcony all the way down to the Foyer. The earthquake took down the Ill Wind and the rest of the Corruption, but it didn’t faze Iblis the fiery hedgehog.

Iblis the fiery hedgehog shot a large column of fire towards Samson and his group, but the column of fire was absorbed by the deep blue barrier Samson concealed himself and his group in. He called on the power of Aurora and Shore, drawing on the rest of Xerox’s strength to supercharge the tsunami he created using the River of Oblivion and aimed it towards Iblis the fiery hedgehog. Iblis was completely drenched and totally powerless, and because of the water from the River of Oblivion, he totally forgot why he was there.

Samson called on the power of Aerial to sweep away the water from the River and dry the floor they stood on. He kept his deep blue barrier up to protect himself and his group from the mind erasing ability of the River of Oblivion.

The Chaos chuckled, “Well played, Samson,” he taunted. “Very well played, but how will you defeat me? While I keep throwing more monsters in your path, you’ll be too occupied with them to even focus on me.”

Samson gritted his teeth, We’ll see about that The Chaos, he thought, temporarily disbanding the deep blue barrier he had around himself and his group.

Koby gasped, “S-Samson, how’d you do all of that?” he asked, shocked. “What are you?”

“We must keep moving,” Samson said, following Ralph deeper into the Darkness Supreme. “The Living Circle is counting on us to get rid of The Chaos, so let’s go. He’s using the monsters of The Dark Lands to his advantage. He’s using them to keep us away from him. We mustn’t let him win.”

With Jesse’s white fire and Prince Smith’s Light Sword working together, they were able to maneuver their way through the Foyer. “Stay close guys,” Ralph insisted. “The closer we come to the darkest area of The Dark Lands, the darker it becomes. Don’t stray from the light.”

Ralph led them through the double doors in the Foyer that led to the first floor of the Darkness Supreme, where more Ill Wind and Corruption awaited. Samson concentrated and summoned the power of the four corners of planet Xerox, drawing on the power of Ember to fry them all to a crisp. He grunted, feeling his strength wavering, but he drew on Xerox’s strength to regain momentum.

Jesse and Prince Smith did their best to illuminate the area as the darkness there became much thicker, the closer they got to the darkest area of The Dark Lands. “Go on, puny humans and super humans, come to me,” The Chaos taunted. “I’m waiting for you guys, after all, we have a score to settle. Plus, I have someone I’d like for you to meet, Samson.”

Samson growled, I can’t have him throw me off, he thought. Whatever he’s planning, it must be stopped.

“We need to make it to the basement,” Ralph said. He led them to the right of the hallway and down a bunch of stairs that got darker as they descended until Prince Smith’s Light Sword and Jesse’s White Fire were almost useless. They finally stood before a dark doorway and with the faint light they did have, they managed to open it and enter.

The door slammed shut behind them and locked. As soon as they entered, The Chaos set his plan in action. “You all walked straight into my trap,” he laughed.

Samson growled, “What do you mean, The Chaos?” he demanded.

Ziero growled, “You pervert!” he shouted.

Samson gasped, “Ziero, what are you talking about?” he asked, taken aback.

“How could you, Samson? How could you buy my sister like that?” he demanded. “What are you hoping to gain from the profit?”

“What do you mean?” Samson asked. “Explain yourself!”

“I don’t have to explain anything to you,” Ziero snapped. “Paradise already explained enough. He told me you are her owner. So, I guess you think you own her now, Samson? Who was the first man you had her sleep with for profit?”

“What?” Samson demanded. “You think I’m a pimp?”

“You’re her owner,” Ziero snapped.

“What? No, no, no, I think you’ve gotten the wrong idea,” Samson said. “She’s my horse.”

“How dare you compare her to some barnyard animal?” Ziero snapped. “Don’t you think she has feelings?”

“But, she is,” Samson replied. “Tell him, Paradise. Tell him what you saw when I rode her to the Sunflower Palace.”

“You ride her, Samson?” Ziero demanded.

“No! No, no, no, I don’t mean, uh, help me out here, Paradise, please?” Samson said. “Uh, Jesse?”

Everyone turned on Samson and screamed insults at him, accusing him of all kinds of things before Jesse finally illuminated their area and brought out the Serenity Bow. He said an incantation and shot a bunch of arrows at the group. An arrow struck everyone in Samson’s group. They all crumbled to the floor.

Samson gasped, “Thanks, Jesse,” he sighed. “I just don’t know what happened.”

Jesse sighed and looked at them lying peacefully on the floor, “The Chaos did this,” he said. “He knew that we were coming here so he set a trap. And it seems it’s all against you, Samson.”

“But, why?” Samson asked.

“Ptolemy, please explain to him why he’s The Chaos’s biggest threat,” Jesse said. “And talk fast. We’re running out of time.”

Ptolemy grunted, like he was fighting against some outside force. He sighed and shook his head, “No, Jesse,” he said, his voice strained. “I can’t. The sword…forbids me.” His hands drifted to the braids in his hair, “But…I can still give him hints…” He took his braids down.

Samson gasped, He looks just like me, he thought, horrified. “Ptolemy…why? Who are you?” he asked, stumbling backwards towards a stone figure.

Ptolemy gasped, “Samson, stop!” he said, rushing towards him.

Ptolemy’s shout startled Samson and he stopped to see what it is was Ptolemy was worried about. He turned around and beheld the stone figure of his father, Maqsedeth. Samson gasped, “Father,” he said, choking back a sob.

He raised his hand to touch him when Ptolemy grabbed it, “Don’t touch him,” he said. “He was petrified using magic, which means it’s contagious. If you touch him, you’ll turn into stone.”

Samson looked at him for a while before returning his attention to Ptolemy, “So, are you going to tell me why you look like me?” he asked. “Why does your voice sound like mine? Who are you, Ptolemy?”

Ptolemy smiled but said nothing. A tear rolled down his cheek, “I can’t…tell you that,” he said, quietly. “The sword forbids me. I can only give you hints.”

Samson glanced at the sword on Ptolemy’s hip and noticed it was glowing red orange and there was writing on the scabbard. He saw that it was dual-colored, ruby and sapphire but it seemed to be reacting to some energy. It’s still glowing. It’s been glowing this entire trip, he thought. Why? What’s making it do that?

“Why is your sword doing that?” Samson asked, nervously. “Does it always do that?”

Ptolemy smiled, “Only when I’m around you,” he replied.

“What? Why?” Samson asked.

Ptolemy grunted, “I can’t…tell you that,” he said. “The sword forbids me from telling you what it is reacting to. I can only hint towards it…it only does this when around the both of us.”

Samson gasped. It only does this when around the both of us, he thought, nervously. “What is it? What is that sword?” Samson asked.

“Infinite Blade, the most powerful sword in The Living Circle because there is no limit to its power,” Ptolemy replied. “The Great March of Charmander forged this sword specifically from the DNA of his next heir or heirs. It only reacts to the heir’s DNA and can only be wielded by that heir. This sword was wielded by the Great June of Charmander before she had new heirs and got dethroned.”

“Why was she dethroned?” Samson asked.

Ptolemy smiled slightly. He seemed to be straining against some outside force. “I can’t…tell you why,” he said. “The sword…”

“Forbids you, I know,” Samson said, frustrated. “You can only hint towards it.”

Ptolemy sighed, “Samson, please don’t be angry at me,” he said. “I’ve told you all you could know. You must remain calm. Please…don’t be angry with me.”

Samson sighed, “I still don’t get it, Ptolemy,” he said. “I mean, when I first met you, you were the slimiest thing to ever walk the planet but now, you’re sweet on me? Is this some kind of trick?”

Ptolemy gasped, He doesn’t trust me, he thought. “I’m…so sorry, Samson, for giving you that impression of me,” he said. “But, honestly, I’m not the slimiest thing to ever walk the planet. I was just angry at you for forgetting…me. It was like we were meeting for the first time and I didn’t like how you didn’t remember me by name.”

Samson gasped, “I was supposed to know you?” he asked. “That was the first time I had ever seen you.”

Ptolemy sighed, “Yes and it was all because of me,” he said. “The sword punished me for showing myself to you too soon by wiping your memory of me, along with the memory of losing your mother, from your mind…forever.”

Samson gasped, “What?” he asked. “The sword can do that?”

Ptolemy nodded, somberly, “I was also testing you to see if you had no known memory of your past,” he said.

“My past?” Samson asked. “I don’t have a past.”

“Everyone has had a dark past,” Ptolemy replied. “Even you, Samson.”

Samson gasped, “Someone else said that same thing,” he said. “And you sound just like him. How do you even know about my past?”

Ptolemy smiled, “I can’t tell you that,” he replied. “But, I had mistakenly assumed that you would still have knowledge of your past since the…dream was so recent.”

Samson gasped, He knows about the dream, he thought. How does he know about the dream? “So, what made you realize your mistake?” Samson asked.

“Infinite Blade,” Ptolemy replied.

“That sword on your hip,” Samson said. “So, have you used it before?”

Ptolemy shook his head, “I can’t use the sword by myself,” he replied. “It’s not…able to be used by…just…me.”

“So, you and who else?” Samson asked.

Ptolemy grunted, “I can’t…tell you that,” he replied. “The sword…forbids me. I can only hint towards it. Me…and one other person...”

Samson gasped, “Who?” he asked.

“Please, stop asking questions,” Ptolemy pleaded. “The sword…hurts me every time I strain against its silencing power. It doesn’t want me telling you too much before it is time for you to know.”

Samson sighed exasperated, “Alright, fine,” he relented as the rest of his group began to stir. They groaned and sat up.

“Ugh, what happened?” Tamar asked. She blinked and saw what looked like duplicates of one person. “Oh, I must be dreaming,” she gasped. “Samson, there’s two of you.”

Samson chuckled, “Actually, Tamar, there isn’t two of me,” he replied. “There’s only one Samson Cleopatra in this room.”

“Then who is that with the brown tunic and glowing sword?” Ron asked, pointing to the man standing next to Samson.

“This is very freaky,” EJ said. “Samson, where’s Ptolemy?”

The man standing next to Samson sighed, “I’m Ptolemy,” he said. “Now, we haven’t much time.”

Everyone gasped, “Ptolemy?” Ziero asked. “But, you…no you can’t be…”

But, they could see it was true. In the light of Prince Smith’s Light Sword and Jesse’s white fire, he looked like the splitting image of Samson Cleopatra: he had the same curly, golden blond hair, the same deep blue eyes, and he was the same height and size as him. It was as though he was Samson himself, except he was bronze while Samson was a shade lighter.

“Samson, Ptolemy, you guys were related, and you didn’t tell us?” Ron asked.

“What? I-I don’t know,” Samson replied. “Uh, Ptolemy please put your braids back up.”

Ptolemy sighed, “It will take too long and we don’t have much time,” he said. “Now, let’s go.”

They followed Ralph deeper into the basement of the Darkness Supreme, behind the stone figure of Maqsedeth, and found themselves at a dead end, or at least they thought. Turns out this dead end wasn’t a dead end at all, but a doorway. They entered and found themselves standing inside a room filled with nothing. The door they entered disappeared and they had to rely on the light of Jesse’s white fire to see every inch of the room. Before them loomed a very dark silhouette of a dragon with glowing red eyes.

The Chaos’s laughter boomed like an explosion, “I see you’ve finally arrived,” he bellowed. “So, Samson, how’d you like my little surprise? I told you he was unharmed.”

Samson growled, “The Chaos, you b*****d! I will not rest until I’ve destroyed you!” he shouted. “And, because of what you’ve done to my father, I will no doubt show you absolutely no mercy!”

The Chaos chuckled, “By all means, bring it on, Samson,” he said. “Give me your best, after all, we do have a score to settle. So, go ahead destroy me, at your own risk.”

Samson glared at him as the ground they stood on rumbled and shook. All around them, prison cells ascended and the Corruption, the Vice, and the Ill Wind fell from above them, surrounding them on all sides. The Chaos’s laughter boomed like an explosion as the people he consumed and reanimated for his purpose and the terrible creatures assembled all around them, closing them in. Samson called on the four corners of planet Xerox, drawing on the power of Ember. He used Xerox’s strength to supercharge his fire attack and fry every single creature to a crisp, including the people The Chaos had consumed and reanimated for his purpose.

“Samson! You made it!” Butch cried from a cell behind Samson and his group.

Samson gasped and turned around, “Butch! Trenton! Guys what are y’all doing in there?” he asked, rushing towards them.

“Samson, please, you must end this!” Ebonie shouted. “Destroy The Chaos once and for all!”

“I’m on it, and don’t worry you guys, I’ll get y’all out of there,” Samson said. “One way or another.”

The Chaos’s laughter erupted throughout the entire prison, “Oh, how sweet,” he mocked. “Apparently the hard warrior does have a soft spot.”

Samson growled, “Oh now you’ve done it!” he snapped. “Just you wait until Xerox gets here! You will be sorry.”

“Destroy The Chaos, Samson,” Rob called. “Do it for Molly.”

Samson gasped, “Molly? What’s happened to her?” he asked.

Rob lowered his head, “She’s gone, Samson,” he replied, choking back a sob.

Samson gritted his teeth, “No, it’s not true,” he said, holding back tears. “Tell me it isn’t true.”

Rob sighed, “I can’t tell you that,” he choked.

Samson fought back tears, No, he thought, Molly. Why? Why must she suffer for my sake? She was just a child. He lowered his gaze and balled his fists, “She was so young,” he growled. “She was like a…sister to me…” Christmas won’t be the same without her… he thought. Tears rolled down his cheeks and fell to the ground at his feet.

He thought back to the day he first held her. While Rob was away at work, Mrs. Parish, Rob’s ex-wife gave birth to twins, Molly and Butch. Rob hated not being able to be there for the births so he asked Samson and Maqsedeth to tape the birth for him. Five hours after their birth was the first time he held Molly. He thought she was the most precious thing he had ever seen.

They grew up together and he even remembered the first word she said: dog. He saw the first steps she took and chased away the monsters underneath her bed. He even helped her and her father get through a really tough break up. They’d play tag and hide ‘n seek together every day after school. They’d hang out all the time in Molly and Butch’s Twin Cave, watching TV, playing Uno and sharing snacks. Now he’ll never see her again.

He wished they had been given more time together. He had hoped to see her shining face upon returning to planet Xerox but, according to Rob, that won’t happen. He sighed, trying to hold himself together in the face of his group of Ancient Xeroxians and Earthlings but the tears wouldn’t stop falling.

Ptolemy hugged him, “Samson, listen to me,” he said, as Samson sobbed on his shoulder. “We will get Molly back for you, I promise. Don’t let The Chaos make you rage. Keep your cool.”

Samson took a deep breath and choked down another sob, “O-okay,” he stammered, “thank you, Ptolemy. I mustn’t let The Chaos get to me. But still, she was like a sister to me…”

Ptolemy sighed, “I know, Samson,” he replied. “And we will get her back for you, I promise.”

Samson managed a smile and turned to face The Chaos. “You’re done already?” he mocked. “I was beginning to enjoy this new soap opera. What should its name be? Oh yes, A Warrior’s Broken Heart. That should fit well.”

Shut up, Samson thought, bitterly. “Go ahead, gloat,” he said. “Xerox will be here soon enough. Then you’ll be sorry you ever laid a finger on my family and my friends. First, you petrify my father then you kill Molly. You have gone too far, The Chaos, and I guarantee there is no power on this planet that will stop me from destroying you.”

Koby and the rest of the Earthlings in his group were very shocked at how serious Samson had become. Up to that point, they saw Samson as this selfish bossy person without a care in the world. He seemed to have everything: money and fame. They didn’t think that he had ever cared about anyone other than himself, but now they could see Samson wasn’t selfish or bossy at all. He had put his whole heart into this quest for his father and his friends. He would stop at nothing for the destruction of The Chaos. Nothing. They began to grow afraid of him.

“Samson,” Koby said. “Are you alright?”

Samson glared at The Chaos and choked back a sob, I’ll destroy him, he thought. I will destroy him in the name of Molly and my father Maqsedeth. He will pay for what he did to them. Samson sighed, “I’m fine, Koby,” he said. “And, I’m sorry, for making you leave your mother behind.”

“You didn’t make me leave my mother behind,” Koby said. “I chose to come with you. My father and I chose to come with you because we knew you needed our help.”

Samson managed a smile and faced Koby, “Thank you, Koby,” he replied. “Thank you, Jantis.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get Molly and your father back for you, Samson,” Karen said. “The Chaos won’t win!”

Samson held back tears and smiled, “Thanks, Karen,” he said. “That means a lot.”

The Chaos laughed, “That’s a very heart felt statement, Karen, but do you really believe you actually have the power to stop me?” he taunted.

“I wouldn’t underestimate them just yet, The Chaos!” Samson shouted. “The planet will give them what they need to stop you!”

The prison shook with The Chaos’s laughter. “Planet Xerox is gone,” he said. “I consumed everyone, entirely. I suppose you thought you and your little friends still had hope to put a stop my rise, did you? But, I have already won! I’ve already risen! Witness the full extent of my power!” He stretched his arms out wide and caused a swirling vortex of darkness to form around himself. Everything around the vortex was consumed entirely. The Dark Lands and the entirety of The Darkness Supreme was consumed by The Chaos.

Samson stood his ground and fought against the pull of the vortex. He used his entire might to expand the reach of his shield to protect himself and the Ancient Xeroxians and Earthlings that were with him from the pull of the vortex. The pull of the vortex got stronger and Samson tapped into his inner strength to counter The Chaos’s pull of darkness. “What is this? What is this power?” he shrieked. “No! Stop this now!”

Samson didn’t allow The Chaos to break his concentration as Jesse placed his hands on his shoulders. He used his power to increase the magnitude of Samson’s power until the vortex came to a halt and The Dark Lands was restored along with the Darkness Supreme. Samson snapped back and peered into the darkness. Jesse illuminated their area with his white fire and they saw that The Chaos was still there, only this time as the silhouette of a man.

Samson was stunned to realize that this dark silhouette closely resembled him. It was almost like Samson was gazing right at his shadow. Samson looked down at his feet and noticed that as the light from Jesse’s white fire bounced off the ground, everything else cast a shadow except him. He gasped and The Chaos laughed, “What’s the matter, Samson?” he taunted.

I-I can’t believe it, he thought. I don’t have a shadow and The Chaos looks just like me…could it be that he is my shadow? No! He can’t be…I never wanted this…

“Samson, are you alright?” Jesse asked him. “You’ve gone pale, like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Samson gasped, He doesn’t see it, he thought. He doesn’t see what--I mean who--we’re up against. We’re up against my shadow, so I’m basically going up against…me. Samson’s jaw dropped, “No,” he whispered.

Jesse nodded, “Yes, Samson,” he said, quietly. “He’s your shadow. But, you mustn’t let that get to you.”

Samson stumbled backwards into Jesse. He was still shocked. This whole time, he had been going up against himself. He always thought The Chaos was a dark entity that only wanted destruction. Now, he understood why The Chaos wanted to harm anything and everything precious and dear to him. He never thought it would come down to this.

Everything Samson wants, The Chaos wants the opposite. Destroy me, Samson but at your own risk, The Chaos’s words rang in his ears. Samson now understood what he meant. “Why?” he whispered.

Jesse sighed, “I don’t know, but Ptolemy does,” he replied. “You really shouldn’t let this get to you. We have a mission to complete.”

Samson gritted his teeth and glared at The Chaos, “You’re right, Jesse,” he said. “We do have a mission to complete.” He stood up straight and disbanded his deep blue barrier.

Jesse used his power to summon Xerox and The Chaos jeered. “The planet Xerox is consumed,” he taunted. “You’re too late. He’s dead.”

Samson just looked at The Chaos. He saw a figure descending to their area from above him and smiled. “Dead, huh?” he asked.

The Chaos looked up and saw what Samson was looking at, “It can’t be…” he said.

Xerox dropped into the light of Jesse’s white fire. He had sandy brown hair, kaleidoscope eyes that changed between golden and silver, and he wore a golden and silver full body jumpsuit and golden boots. “Hello Jesse, hello Samson,” he said. “I knew you’d come.”

“Hello, Xerox,” Jesse said. “It was our pleasure.”

“Thanks for doing this, Samson,” Xerox said. “You truly are worthy to be the Chosen Warrior of The Living Circle. I am eternally in your debt. So, where are those Earthlings you need me to bless?”

Samson and his group of Ancient Xeroxians moved to the side, revealing the Earthlings that had travelled so far away from their homes to get there with Samson. They trembled and Xerox smiled, “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “I won’t hurt you. Please, come forward.”

They could not believe their eyes. The whole time, Xerox, the planet Xerox, was a man. They thought planet Xerox was just a planet, but apparently this planet has a spirit. “The blessing will come upon you only if you believe,” Xerox said. “Any power you so desire will be given to you, but only if you believe you have that power.” He touched the forehead of each and every Earthling in the room with his right hand and sent them back with Samson and Jesse. “Keep watch over them, for The Chaos will want to rob them of the power they hold inside,” he said. “Good luck. The Living Circle and I place our lives in your hands.” After saying this, he departed their presence.

“We’ll do our best,” Samson called after him.

Samson and his group of Ancient Xeroxians and the newly blessed Earthlings faced The Chaos, ready for battle. After they received the blessing of Xerox, a golden glow showered over each and every Earthling. Immediately, the Earthlings were no longer exhausted and frightened. They had new found strength and confidence. With calm and clear minds, they actually believed they possessed the power to destroy The Chaos with ease.

However, The Chaos was becoming more and more desperate with each passing second. He began using his power to discreetly whisper into the Earthlings’ minds, causing them to doubt themselves and slowly lose power. Jesse threw one of his Blazers in The Chao’s direction, causing him to lose his control over the Earthlings’ minds. He used his power to pour strength into the group of Earthlings and Ancient Xeroxians, making them impervious to The Chaos’s touch and amplifying the power the Earthlings received from the blessing of Xerox.

“Don’t allow The Chaos to cause you to doubt your own strength,” Jesse said to them. “Like Xerox said, if you believe you have the power, you will have the power. Any power you so desire can be yours if you just believe.”

Jesse turned to face The Chaos, his Blazers spinning at 500,000 mph, “Alright, let’s do this,” he said. “Guys, you ready?”

“Right beside you, Jesse,” Rueban replied, his Aurora Borealis shining with a multi-colored light in his hand.

“Me too,” Prince Smith replied, his Light Sword glowing brighter than ever. 

The rest of the group nodded, “We’re ready,” they replied.

The Chaos sneered, “Fools,” he said. The people he consumed and reanimated for his purpose appeared all around him. The Ill Wind, the Corruption, the Vice, the Zoros, the Toreks, and the Vanderbelts all surrounded The Chaos, trying to keep them from attacking him.

Ziero unsheathed his sword, the X-Blade and faced the large army of creatures surrounding The Chaos. Paradise cocked his gun and grinned, “It’s show time,” he said. “Ready Ziero?”

Ziero nodded, “Samson, Paradise and I will handle the Zoros, Toreks, and Vanderbelts,” he said. “You guys take care of The Chaos.”

But, how will we get to The Chaos? Samson thought.

The army The Chaos created using the people he consumed and reanimated for his purpose, the Ill Wind, the Corruption, the Vice, the Zoros, the Toreks, and the Vanderbelts charged towards them. Ziero sliced through them with his sword and Paradise shot them down with his gun. But, it seemed that after they attacked the creatures, more would take their place. Samson called on all four corners of planet Xerox, Aerial, Aurora, Ember, and Shore and combined them all into a sword. He tossed it into the army of creatures that surrounded Ziero and Paradise, demolishing half of them. The sword flew back into Samson’s hands like a boomerang and he tossed it again, demolishing the other half.

Ziero glared at him, “I thought I told you to go after The Chaos!” he shouted.

“We can’t reach The Chaos if he’s surrounded,” Samson snapped.

Ziero growled.

Paradise sighed, “A simple thank you would suffice, Ziero,” he said. “After all, Samson did clear a direct way to The Chaos.”

Samson and his group of Ancient Xeroxians and Earthlings rushed towards The Chaos, but as soon as they got half way there, The Chaos had already surrounded himself with more creatures. Samson struck down a cluster of them with the sword he created using the four corners of planet Xerox. Koby brought down half with a large column of fire. Jantis pounded his fist into the ground, causing a shockwave to blast away the other half.

Ptolemy approached Samson, “Samson, we must face The Chaos together,” he said, unsheathing his sword.

Samson glanced at him apprehensively, “But, I thought you couldn’t wield it by yourself,” he said.

“I can’t,” Ptolemy replied. “I will need your help. If you don’t mind.”

Samson looked at the sword he created using the four corners of planet Xerox and sighed, “Alright,” he relented, “I’ll help you.” He disbanded the sword he created using the four corners of planet Xerox and grabbed the portion of Infinite Blade’s hilt that was still free. Immediately, Infinite Blade glowed brighter than Prince Smith’s Light Sword and Jesse’s white fire combined. He felt the sword’s power course through his veins, almost like it was a part of him, and he a part of it. He and Ptolemy charged to attack The Chaos.

Author's Note

I suggest reading The Petrifying Woods (book three) before reading this book; Also I suggest reading the Prologue before reading this chapter to better keep up with it. Please ignore any spelling or grammatical errors