ACT FOURTEEN

The judge, the officers, the people of the jury; all were shaking in their shoes, and some were slipping quietly out through the back doors, while everyone else stayed, still gawking at the creature that stood before them.

“Beast Boy, what’s going on?” Robin asked.

The creature only snickered, “Beast Boy? Your friend is no longer here. He never was here.”

“If you aren’t Beast Boy, then who are you?” asked Raven.

“I know who you are!” snapped Twilight.

Celestia felt the same way as she stood next to her, “Admit your identity, Yamimakai!”

The creature mock bowed to her, “With pride, though please… call me “Yami.” It’s easier to say.”

Starfire asked “You know this being?”

Twilight nodded and explained what she studied, “He’s an ancient evil from Pre-Equestrian Times. He tried to destroy all love and trust and rule the world with hate and destruction!”

“And you didn’t tell us about this because…?” Cyborg asked.

“I wasn’t entirely sure. I had no proof.”

Yami chuckled, “I’m afraid you have much greater problems, now that I’m here. It’s time that I finished what I started all those centuries ago, and rid the world of all love and hope, and everyone will be forced to feel the hate, the anger, and the chaos and destruction will be immeasurable!”

“Yo, pal… get a life!” snapped Cyborg, but Yami only glared at him. “You fool! Thanks to your friend, Beast Boy, I now HAVE a life again!”

“What have you done with Beast Boy?!” Terra demanded to know.

Yami didn’t seem too much harm in explaining…

“Once I hailed from another dimension…

I was just like any other being. I believe in the light, the love, the hope, and most of all, I had a wonderful life.

I had friends, a good family, but most of all, I had her-- my darling Angeline! We were going to be married, but fate had other plans.

My love was struck by a devastating illness. Our wizards and medicine chiefs were unable to find a cure, and with her life fading fast, I was not willing to let my beloved die.

The only option was to sell half of my very soul to the dark forces in exchange that they save Angeline’s life. So it was done.

I was enveloped by dark waves, and though my wish was granted and Angeline was miraculously cured, it had cost me dearly. My handsome body had become dark, horrid, and pale looking. The price I had to pay for my wish.

While I was thankful my darling would live, I thought everything would be so perfect… but I was wrong.

I was shunned by my friends and family for my appearance, and disowned for “Foolishly” selling my soul to save the woman I loved.

I was looked down upon by all, and treated as a monster, and exiled from my home, threatened never to return!

I never so betrayed! So hurt!

I tried to seek help, find a new home and people I could trust, only to be horribly treated in the same manner for my appearance, which was beyond my control.

As the years of mistreatment, pain, and anger mounted up, so did my growing hate for everyone.

When word passed that my dear Angeline had married another, and my family had not only cut all ties from me, but refused to acknowledge or remember me in any way, I knew that my breaking point!

The hate that I felt was so great, that I completely gave in. Not only had I renounced whatever care I had for love, hope, joy and the rest of it, but I decided to destroy it, and anyone who basked in its glory.

I would show them all how it felt to be hated and abused!

I decided to sell the remainder of my soul to the dark forces in exchange for great power.

My entire body became a weapon! I was not only a skilled fighter, but I was given magical abilities that all became clear with time.

I was then able to forge my sword of hatred, which would serve as my primary weapon in my conquest for hatred and destruction!

I returned to my home, where I quickly laid waste to the beings that betrayed me!

They tried to send our best fighters to combat me, but the anger they felt, the hate they exhibited, it only made me stronger and my power all the greater! There naught that could stand up to me, and as I grew stronger, I longed to spread more…

…Brining pain, hate, and destruction to anyone anywhere!

With my power, I managed to pierce through dimensional voids and wander into other worlds, eventually created the trans-warp jewel, to help me travel much easier, by absorbing the light of a full moon.

Eventually I came to Azarath, where I ran into the evil Trigon. As great as my power was, I could tell this was too much for me. I barely managed to escape with my life, but in my haste, the jewel had been severed in half, and I was sent hurling through dimensions with only one half in my possession.

I landed in Pre-Equestria, and there I found so much love and joy, I couldn’t stand it, and nothing please me more than to rampage and break it all to pieces.

Still, I found this task to be far more difficult than any job I had. The love and trust was much stronger here, and some fighters put up more of a struggle. In the end, they, too, met their demise.

Then, I faced against that prince, while I was temporarily weakened from so much slaughtering.

The two of us seemed equal in strength, but I managed to strike him hard, ensuring his demise, but in his dying moments, he cursed me-- sealed me within my sword.

In the struggle, my trans-warp gem was dropped right next to the sword, which somehow teleported my sword in its pedestal to this rotten world, buried deep beneath the earth for what seemed like an eternity!

Yet, my hate, my lust for vengeance and destruction always remained!”

Everyone was a mix of emotions. Some felt sorry for him that he had it so rough, which made it understandable why he was so angry, but his actions, his needless lust to kill and destroy was completely sick and unjustified, making it impossible to sympathize with him.

“That doesn’t explain what Beast Boy had to do with any of this.” said Robin.

Everyone else demanded the explanation.

“Isn’t it painfully obvious?” sneered Yami “As powerful as my spirit was, my body was gone, and I required a replacement, and I didn’t just want any replacement, I needed someone with vast amounts of anger, hate, and inner sense for destruction.”

When my sword was finally unearthed, I could sense the people who laid their hands on the hilt.

I could feel their inner emotions, but not one had the requirements I desired. So I refused to allow the sword to be removed by any but the chosen one.

Then, fate had rewarded me, the night Beast Boy laid his hands on my sword, I could feel it--such anger, such hate, and his inner desires to punish and exact vengeance on those who wronged him, not to mention his animal morphing-- I couldn’t have chosen better!

I infused my spirit into him, and feed off of his inner hate, but much to my horrors, as angry as he ever would, he refused to take action, carry out any plan.

So I made him do all those things, in order to increase the hate, the tension, and in order to regather my strength over him.”

He paused and glared at Terra.

“I was able to render myself invisible so that no one would suspect a thing, yet you were able to see me while others couldn’t, and of course it was no secret why…!

Your overwhelming feelings for Beast Boy, the strong bond that you shared and now was blossoming within you, stronger than ever, that is how!”

Terra put her hand to her heart in shock, and while it seemed so farfetched, nothing could explain how she was able to see him.

“Beast Boy is no more!” declared Yami “I have taken over his body,” he pointed at the blade of his sword “…And he has taken my place in the vortex! A proper place for that pathetic weakling anyway!”

“Shut up!” shouted Terra “How dare you call him “pathetic!”

“That goes for me too!” added Robin.

“And I!” said Starfire.

Raven and Cyborg agreed.

“How dare I?” laughed Yami “You’re the ones who think of him as pathetic too. I read Beast Boy’s thoughts; I’ve seen how you treat him. It’s no wonder the poor fool felt such fury!”

The Equestrians didn’t like the sounds of that, and gawked at the Titans and Terra.

“Not that it matters now.” taunted Yami “Beast Boy is gone, and this world, and the worlds beyond it… WILL BE MINE!!”

Robin had heard enough. “Titans Go!”

The four Titans all charged forth…

Robin threw his disc-bombs, Starfire blasted her star bolts, Cyborg fired his sonic cannon, and Raven, with her powers, grabbed several chairs from the court and threw them hard.

Yami merely waved his sword in swift and furious angles, blocking off every shot, much to the teams shock.

“My turn…!”

He thrust his sword forth, unleashed a burning wave of energy, which the Titans barely dodged. It hit the back wall of the courtroom, making a big explosion and taking a huge chunk out of it.

He then leapt in towards the four, and began to battle them all at once.

He punched Starfire hard in her face, kicked Cyborg hard in the chest.

“Azarath, Metrione, Zinthos!” Raven unleashed a strong wave of dark aura straight at him, but Yami, raised his sword high and came down actually slicing right through the very energy itself as if it were butter, and made his way towards Raven…

Robin came in with his metal staff and blocked him off, and all the Titans ganged up on him as the fight continued.

The poor Equetrians and Terra could only watch helplessly from the back of the court.

“We’ve got to do something!” cried Spike.

“But what-- We have no powers, no weapons. Nothing!” said Twilight.

Terra couldn’t bear to watch this…

Robin got punched in the gut, and Raven got kicked in the side.

Yami lunged for Starfire with his sword ready, and she flew out of the way causing him to miss.

It was as if the evil was just toying with the Titans.

She looked down at her fists, and then figured on trying something, to give the Titans a chance to get away.

“I hope this works. I’m still out of practice!” she said to herself.

She clenched her fists and then opened her hands wide again. They barely glowed at all.

“Come on! Work! Work!” she mumbled as she tried to control her anxiety and focus.

Yami struck his sword hard into the floor, and sent a surging wave of power straight at the Titans, blowing them all about.

All four of them were starting to look really beaten, but they refused to back down.

“It is no use!” hissed Yami “The more you fight-- the more anger and hate you show-- the stronger I become!”

The Titans remembered this, but were still not giving up.

They all leapt up and charged to attack him all at once, but Yami swerved and evaded their every attempt.

Robin lunged at him with his staff ready, and gave a huge swing. Yami parried it with his sword, only Robin pulled a fast one and lasted the blade with his grappling hook and wretched it out of his grip, sending it high up a wall where it got stuck.

Yami growled, and Robin felt he’d have the advantage now that the villain was unarmed.

Roaring angrily, Robin charged straight for him, but Yami held his arm…

“A’RGH!!”

Robin ran smack into a hidden claw blade that surprisingly popped out of Yami’s wrist, wounding him right in the side!

“ROBIN!!” screamed Starfire as she watched her boyfriend collapse to his knees clutching his bloody side.

The Equestrians gawked in horror, and Discord didn’t know much more he could bear to see any of this, almost as if he didn’t care if he had his powers or not.

Terra was still trying to get her power going, but her panicking was making it too hard to concentrate.

Then she looked at the evil creep, and remembered that it was Beast Boy’s body, and she remembered that the real Beast Boy was in danger, as well as the Titans.

This helped her to regain her concentrating and she could feel her power growing inside.

…But it wasn’t soon enough!

Yami then leapt high to take back his sword.

Raven and Cyborg rushed after him while Starfire scooped Robin up in her arms. “Robin, please hold on!” she sobbed.

Robin was still alive, but his side really hurt.

Starfire removed his cape and used it hold down and close the wound so he wouldn’t bleed so much, much to his agony!

Yami managed to grab his sword, while Raven tried to use her powers on him again, but he raised his arm and fired a big blast of power, piercing through her aura, hitting her in the chest and sent her crashing down hard.

“That’s it!” shouted Cyborg, and he set his cannon to full power, and fire the most powerful blast he ever could.

Yami looked up as the bight energy sped towards him.

(Slow motion)

A the last second, he leapt up high, somersaulting right up and over the waves, he dove right for Cyborg with his sword ready, and in a big swing… he severed Cyborg’s right off, right at the shoulder!!

Cyborg shouted in extreme agony as he fell over backwards, and his exposed wires and circuity began to spark… to everyone’s horror!

(Normal Speed)

Yami then snickered as he picked up the severed limb, and crushed it in his hand, rendering it totally hopeless.

“You are all worthless-- ranked amateurs to one whom has battled for millennia. I should end your misery here and now!”

The Titans were all weak, sore, and unable to put up anymore fight…

…And Discord had reached his breaking point, as he leapt up and charged for him!

“Discord!” shouted Twilight.

“Don’t do it!” cried Celestia, but it was too late for both of them to try and stop him.

“YOU… LEAVE THEM… ALONE!!!!” Discord shouted actually picking up a table throwing it straight at Yami.

“DON’T!!!” shouted Twilight, but the table had already flown smack into Yami, shattering into splinters, yet the villain seemed totally unharmed due to his great hate-empowered strength.

Discord froze up with fear and shock as the villain slowly turned to glare at him, “That was a mistake!”

He began to step forward to the cowering man, with his sword glowing brightly.

“Discord!” cried Twilight.

Terra then felt her power was strong enough, and she aimed at under the villain’s feet.

“What?!” Yami snapped, and looked down at his boots just in time as the ground erupted, and he was soaring high up towards the ceiling.

“No!!” cried Terra. She was trying to float him up on a rock and send him through a window!

The angrily villain regained his balance, and kicked off the ceiling, veering towards Terra to skewer her!

Thinking quickly, Celestia leapt in and shoved Terra hard out of the way, putting herself in the line of danger!

SLASH!! The sword went right through her!!

Twilight screamed, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!!!!!”

Spike…!

Discord…!

All the Titans and Terra gawked in extreme horror as Celestia flopped onto the ground. Her blood gushing forth!

Yami only gazed pitifully at the dying body. “Now you see what happens when you try to be kind.”

Starfire put Robin down, ready to rush the evil with such fury, but it was Terra who completely lost her temper, and let out a raging scream, igniting her powers so hard that’s the entire building began to shake, but especially the floor, and in a fit of rage, Terra erupted the ground once again, harder than ever, sending the villain clean through the solid walls and far up into the sky, towards the outback!

So at least he was gone, but the Titans were horribly injured, and Twilight bent down by Celestia with tears falling from her eyes.

Spike emerged from her backpack, and he too began to cry softly.

“Celestia…!” cried Twilight “Celestia, please hang on!”

Her life fading fast, and her vision fading out, Celestia looked up at Twilight and told her in a very soft tone, “Tell… Princess Luna… and all your friends… I will… always… be with you!

Be strong… and courageous…

…My… Little… Pony…!”

She was gone!

Spike howled most miserably!

Discord fell to his knees in shame and heartbreak!

The Titans and Terra felt horrible, but Twilight… she clutched the body of her mentor to her tightly, sobbing so hard yet so silently you couldn’t’ hear her.

Far, far away in the outback, Yami got to his feet, astounded at the strength of Terra’s power and the hate she had used in it.

Still, now was not the time to think of that, especially now that his power was so great, that he raised his sword high calling out, “Come forth with your power! Arise with your hate! Prepare yourself… my armies of evil!”

The winds began to pick up, and the sword began to glow, firing dark blasts of aura at the ground, and up rose an army of dark creatures, wearing armor and wielding swords, lances, maces and axes.

These were the very followers whom had served him in conquests for hate and power.

The creatures growled, and snarled, while pledging their allegiance to their master.

“We have things to do... places to conquer… and beings to eliminate.

It is time to begin where we were stopped all those ages ago… Now that I have this…!”

He held out Raven’s brooch, which he had taken from the tower prior to going to the courthouse for the trial, and the full moon was shining brightly in the sky.

“It is time for me to return to the world I once prowled in, and all worlds beyond that will soon tremble at the power of the hate… and all of love and hope SHALL DIE…!!!”

The very aura of his hate made strong winds lift up his cape, and he began to sing to an evil song, with his evil army as backup choirs.

There was once a long time ago, I had heart
And the feelings of love were as strong as can be
My goodness would soon cost me dear,
My good deed just earned me a sneer
No more love and passion or joy would they share with me!

I was once the most powerful being of all
(OooWaahOoo)
Then I was sealed up all for love’s wretched sake!
(OooWaahOoo)
But Beast Boy had come to my aid
Now I’m going to go on a big raid
Love and Hope, you better beware; the hatred’s awake!

As the hatred will rise, power will strengthen
As the hatred will rise, just before dawn
(OoooOoooOooo)
I’ll pierce through the light,
With my hatred so bright
As the hatred will rise,
It’ll be gone!

Try as they might, nobody can stop me
(OooWaahOoo)
I’ll wipe each of them out one-by-one!
(OooWaahOoo)
All the love shall be no more,
As I slam it right on the floor
“Get this through your head, Love…” You’re done!

As the hatred will rise, terror will rule all
(Terror’s my specialty)
As the hatred will rise, evil will brew
(OoooOoooOooo)
Soon they will see,
It’s as real as can be!
As the hatred will rise,
It’ll be through!

(OoooOoooOooo)
As the hatred will rise, No one will stop it
(…Stop it)
As the hatred will rise, love will be doomed
(…Doo-oomed)
My hate, it will shine
And the world will be mine!

As the hatred will rise,
As the hatred will rise,

Burn my hatred, rise ever stronger
Let my power show!
As the hatred will rise,
As the hatred will rise,
I will stand for the love no longer!

As the hatred will rise,
As the hatred will rise,
As the hatred will rise,

…LET IT GROW!!!!

Yami laughed maniacally up at the sky!

Author's Note

And it's just beginning...