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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kage_cover2b_3069.jpg]]
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3''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8856727/1/%E5%BD%B1-Kage Kage]]'' is a ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' and ''{{WesternAnimation/WITCH}}'' crossover fanfiction by Creator/{{chaotic9}}, and a part of FanFic/ProjectDarkJade. The author has another project story called ''Fanfic/AFrogInArkhamAsylum''
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5The premise of the story is that Drago, during his defeat and banishment at the end of the final episode, cast a spell so that Jade, who he viewed as an ArchEnemy, was cast out of her world, to an entirely seperate universe.
6
7She then finds herself in Meridian at the start of the second season of ''{{WesternAnimation/WITCH}}'', her [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Queen of the Shadowkhan]] persona [[EnemyWithin partially reawakened]], and gets caught up in the battle between the Guardians and Nerissa, with circumstances forcing her to ally with the crazy sorceress in her quest to return home.
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9Now with a [[Characters/{{Kage}} Character Sheet]]
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11Official Description: ''Sometimes even the heroes greatest victory can be tainted. And that cost Jade her place in her Universe. Now in another Universe watched by a place called Kandrakar and its Guardians, with some of the power she once possessed, Jade will try to find a way home, by any means necessary. But can she prevail in an Universe where Light seems to always beat Darkness?''
12
13While this story has sadly become a DeadFic, it now has a RecursiveFanfiction in ''Fanfic/ShadowsOverMeridian''.
14----
15!!This fic provides examples of:
16
17* AccompliceByInaction: Caleb is determined to punish all of Phobos' loyalists. However, his definition of "loyal" extends to anyone who didn't try to fight against him. To Caleb, choosing to obey and live for fear of your life and the lives of those you care about doesn't matter. If you weren't willing to fight and die, then you're a traitor to the crown.
18* AdaptationDistillation: The author has referenced details from the comic continuity a few times.
19* AdaptationExpansion: The story has expanded upon some details, like Phobos overthrowing his parents.
20* AdaptationalJerkass: The Rebellion as a whole receives this. While straight up heroes in canon, here they're shown to not be above their own share of distasteful acts, such as the events that led to the destruction of Sonder Hill. And post-victory, their pride from defeating Phobos and resentment towards his followers is only making them undertake more morally questionable actions.
21** In canon, Caleb was a standard hero, but here he's got a borderline BlackAndWhiteInsanity view of things that causes him to take such extreme actions that the Knights [[NotSoDifferentRemark find him no different from Cedric]].
22** Likewise Vathek, who shows a cruel streak towards Phobos' minions that wasn't present in canon. Also, while canonically he showed some remorse for framing Raythor to cover his own tracks as TheMole, that is completely absent here.
23* AdaptationalSympathy:
24** Raythor is made far more sympathetic over the fact that he was framed and how callous the Guardians and Rebellion are over his fate.
25** Miranda is also made more sympathetic by being given a tragic backstory that explains her bitterness and hatred toward Elyon and the rebellion. She also has a kind side she keeps hidden, and some of her crueler canon actions are just an act to better blend into Phobos' court, such as her rumored eating of Passlings turning out to just be a lie.
26* TheAgeless:
27** Jade believes that this is the type of immortality the {{Oni}} Generals and Tarakudo have, based on Tohru's research about them and the other {{Youkai}}. It makes her wonder if she's immortal in this way as well. It's later confirmed in a memory of the Crab Khan General the Queen shares with Jade.
28** Shapeshifters don't age after the age of twenty, [[SubvertedTrope but they do die after living from 400 to 500 years]].
29** Miranda speculates that Sandpit and the Tracker, who are both unique beings, might be this trope.
30** During a long-term study session in the Kandrakar library, Tibor wishes that Sages got this instead of simply aging at a slower rate.
31* AllMythsAreTrue: It seems that most creatures from Earth's mythology were inspired by beings from other worlds like Meridian and Arkhanta that one way or another ended up there, like Passlings and Gargoyle's kind.
32* AlternateSelf: [[spoiler: The W.I.T.C.H. universe Earth has its local version of Jackie Chan and his niece (Stacie instead of Jade), who are actors like in our reality, albeit ones doing a TV show that's basically JCA with some of the details changed]].
33* AlternateUniverse: In that Jade gets banished by Drago during the JCA FinalBattle. That said, the W.I.T.C.H. universe appears to be a separate one from the JCA universe, judging by the Oracle's comments when feeling Jade's arrival on Meridian.
34** It's confirmed that the W.I.T.C.H. Earth is different from the JCA Earth, as [[spoiler: on the former, Jackie Chan is a famous actor, and his niece is a young woman named Stacie]]. Jade is in denial about this.
35* TheAntiChrist: According to N'ghala the First Oracle's [[TheProphecy prophecy]], Jade (or the Queen of the Shadowkhan) will spread darkness across all the Known Worlds. And Yua shares with Ari another [[PropheciesRhymeAllTheTime prophecy]] regarding a being whose description Jade matches bringing about the downfall of Kandrakar:
36--> "From another realm, another place; comes a dark child of a long forgotten race; from thrive to trial she will reach her throne; the light of the sky will be darkened by her will alone."
37* AntiVillain: Jade, who has the ultimate goal of getting home, and is only with Nerissa because of circumstances.
38* ArchEnemy: It is revealed that Drago views Jade as this.
39* ArmorPiercingQuestion: When the Queen asks Jade if she wants to turn back to a normal human because she really wants to or because Jackie would want her to, Jade cannot find any comeback for a change.
40* BigBadEnsemble: [[TheChessmaster Nerissa]] is following her canon plot, while also plotting to steal Jade's powers for herself. Meanwhile, [[EnemyWithin the]] [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Queen]] is trying to corrupt Jade so that she can perform a SplitPersonalityTakeover, while [[KnightTemplar Kur]] is plotting from the sidelines to manipulate Elyon into aiding his [[FantasticRacism anti-shapeshifter]] plans. And then there's Yua and Ari, currently closer to GreaterScopeVillain status as they watch events unfold on Meridian, waiting for when they can step in and help Jade to fulfill the prophecy that she'll cause Kandrakar's downfall.
41* BlackAndWhiteMorality:
42** Caleb is shown as having this, bordering on BlackAndWhiteInsanity. Especially when he claims he will have any village who sided with Phobos from the mayor to the villagers punished, and not caring about their reasoning.
43** In a later chapter Will lampshades this by admitting they shouldn't have assumed Jade was evil on sight just because of her powers and appearance, and that Raythor is merely following his code of honor. The others agree after a talk, but say they should still capture them.
44** Jade, while believing that there is a firm line between good and evil, albeit one that can be stepped on or even crossed a little, is finding that things are blurrier than she's used to, especially with the NobleDemon Raythor and such.
45* BlastingItOutOfTheirHands: When the Knights attack Sonder Hill, Jade forces Tynar and Drake to drop their swords by throwing shuriken at their hands. Fortunately for them, the resulting wounds are merely scratches.
46* BlatantLies: "The Mage" tells the good guys that Jade is a shapeshifter with a default form that borders on EldritchAbomination so she'll be falsely imprisoned, allowing Nerissa to promptly "rescue" her when she came to free Miranda.
47* BrainFood: When the Queen has controlled Jade's body, she has threatened to eat her opponents' brains, much to their shock. Jade actually eats a rat's brain off-screen. It disgusts the other Knights and makes many others view her more monstrous than they thought previously. It's eventually revealed that Jade and the Queen gained this trait from the memories of the Crab Khan General.
48* CassandraTruth: Jade's claims about not being a threat, especially after the actions of the Queen, and once Nerissa (disguised as the Mage) feeds the rebels [[BlatantLies a story about her being a shapeshifting monster]].
49* CastingAShadow: Jade can [[ShadowWalker enter shadows]] now, and while the Queen nearly manages to defeat Caleb and the Guardians with shadow-based CombatTentacles, which she later teaches Jade to use, she has yet to figure out how to summon Shadowkhan.
50* CatapultNightmare: When Miranda's FlashbackNightmare regarding her parents' death ends with her yelling a BigNo, she finds herself awake and in a sitting position.
51* CeilingCling: As Miranda waits for the Interpol agents to finish their first interview with the Guardians, she has to avoid several teachers. One of them almost catches her before she shakes him off by hanging from the ceiling.
52* CelebrityParadox: [[spoiler:On the W.I.T.C.H. version of Earth, Jackie's niece is Stacie Chan instead of Jade, who aspires to be an actor like her uncle. In the JCA cartoon, the real-life Stacie was the voice of Jade.]]
53** [[spoiler:In addition, she and her uncle are doing characters in a show that's basically JCA with the serial numbers filed off, called James Chen Mysteries]].
54* CerebusRetcon: Several W.I.T.C.H. events have been reworked to make them DarkerAndEdgier, like the battle of Sonder Hill.
55* CallBack: Many events from both series are referred to.
56** When Jade first sees the Guardians, she wonders if they somehow got demon chi, even asking if they were the "Fairy Sorcerers".
57** When Jade feels irritated by the sunlight, she sarcastically wonders if she'll eventually be destroyed by it, like she saw happening to the {{Jiangshi}} that appeared in one episode of JCA.
58** When Raythor reassures Jade that killing Shendu doesn't make her a monster, she realizes her capacity towards empathy, pity and mercy when she remembers how she helped Xu Lin escape the Lotus Temple and taught the bully Maynard self-restraint.
59** Jade first uses her ninja suit to glide when she remembers how she first saw the ninja Shadowkhan doing that.
60** While in Heatherfield, Jade wonders if Uncle could strip the Guardians and Nerissa of their powers like he did to Daolon Wong.
61** The Queen's knowledge regarding the Shadowkhan and shadow magic are gained from the time Jade wore half of an Oni Mask, giving her the Crab Khan General's memories.
62* CombatTentacles: The Queen uses her CastingAShadow powers to create some while fighting the Guardians, and later shows Jade how to do it.
63* ComboPlatterPowers: Jade's transformation has granted her CastingAShadow powers, a HyperspaceArsenal of knives and shuriken, enhanced speed/agility and strength, and SuperToughness[=/=]MadeOfIron.
64* DarkIsEvil: Elyon seems convinced that Jade is evil mostly because of her shadow magic. And given the Queen's actions when in control of her body, Elyon may have a point.
65** The author has this to say on the matter: "''Let us all hope that Jade can get through this, but sometimes the greatest threat to anyone can be themselves, and we don´t need an alternate personality to understand how dangerous is the Darkness Within. [[DarkIsNotEvil For itself it is not evil]], but it helps.''"
66* DarkMessiah: It seems Jade is the focus of a prophecy of some kind, detailing dark forces spreading across the Known Worlds.
67* DeadFic: Hasn't been updated since 2017.
68* DesignatedHero: InUniverse, Jade comes to have this opinion about the Guardians and the former rebels, due to their GoodIsNotNice attitude.
69* DontCreateAMartyr: "The Mage" advises Elyon to postpone a trial for Phobos and his troops because several members of his court are still at large and could convince people to view him as a martyr should he be put on a trial.
70* DownerBeginning: The story starts with Drago banishing Jade to the Shadow Realm shortly before he himself is banished to the Demon Netherworld. The scene is a ''massive'' TearJerker.
71* EldritchAbomination: Nerissa (as "the Mage") says, [[BlatantLies lying though her teeth as she does so]], that Jade is a shapeshifter with a default form similar to this, so the rebels will mistrust and try to imprison her, allowing Nerissa to easily recruit her.
72* EmotionEater: The Queen (and Jade by extension) seems to be able to gain power from the negative emotions [[TheEmpath Jade can now feel]]. Just a few days among the Knights has given her enough strength to partially manifest in [[LivingShadow Jade's shadow]].
73* TheEmpath: Jade has developed the ability to feel negative emotions ("darkness within") in other people.
74* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Jade was a cunning GuileHero and BadassAdorable with WaifFu and even a little magic. Now she has shadow powers on top of everything else.
75* EnemyWithin: The Queen, reawakened by Drago's spell, who wishes to overtake Jade's mind and reduce Jade to ''[[SplitPersonalityTakeover her]]'' [[SplitPersonalityTakeover shadow]].
76* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
77** Miranda's relationship with Cedric, who she bemoans leaving behind when escaping.
78** The Queen grudgingly admits to Jade that their family has always been important to her.
79* EvenEvilHasStandards:
80** [[NobleDemon Raythor]] loudly objected against Jade becoming part of the Knights of Vengeance since he didn't want a little girl to be involved in their war. See NobleDemon below. Lampshaded by Jade:
81--->'''Jade:''' Wow, a bad guy with honor? Now I have seen everything.
82** Also, Miranda thinks Tracker is a monster, even compared to herself.
83* EveryoneHasStandards:
84** While a pragmatist, Jade is still disgusted to learn how the Guardians framed Raythor for treason.
85** Even with as extreme as they've become in rooting out Phobos' remaining minions, Caleb and Aldarn draw a line on Kur's attempts to enact another purge on Shapeshifters, and are working to keep him from influencing Elyon.
86* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Miranda is completely baffled when Tracker lets Jade [[PetTheDog get nice with his dog]] and the only way she can understand it is that Jade must have used a spell on them.
87* EvilCostumeSwitch: After Jade is knocked out by Elyon and locked up, some shadows (possibly controlled by the Queen) cover her and replace her wannabe spy outfit with a set of shinobi robes. It's practically identical to the ones ninja Shadowkhan use, save for a mask or a hood. It even includes the tissue that's useful for gliding.
88** After the Knights have been formed, Nerissa creates for Jade a belt with the sorceress' emblem on it. And later Jade makes a point by creating a makeshift bandana out of some orange cloth in order to at least partially replicate her original outfit (the orange hoody).
89* EvilIsPetty: Drago cast the spell on Jade (who he views as his ArchEnemy) that cast her to Meridian just so he could taint her victory, even if it still meant he and his father would become SealedEvilInACan (the chapter is even titled Sore Loser: If I have to go down, then so does she).
90** Phobos mocks the rebels for letting Nerissa free Jade and Miranda, even when it's pointed out that he's been left to rot.
91* EvilerThanThou:
92** Jade feels this way about Phobos when she mentally compares him to Shendu, noting that while they both oppressed their subjects, Shendu was a draconic Demon Sorcerer, unlike Phobos, whose subjects were the same species, so he didn't even have FantasticRacism as an excuse for his cruelty.
93** Also, Miranda considers Tracker to be an even bigger monster than she is.
94** Whenever the Queen manages to briefly take over Jade, Miranda comments that the darkness she sees in her eyes is somehow worse than both Phobos and Cedric.
95* ExtremeOmnivore: After her transformation, Jade has no problem eating just about anything, it would seem.
96* FamilyThemeNaming: Names from religion and mythology, especially Greek, seem to be common in the Meridian royal line, one of the old princes was named Kronos, having a mother named Gaia and a sister named Rhea, in addition to the modern Phobos and Elyon (Elyon's name can be translated to mean "most high", and is used multiple times in the Bible to refer to God).
97* FantasticRacism: This seems to be becoming one of the major themes.
98** Shapeshifters are generally despised by the rest of Meridian. There was a general purge of them 200 years ago, and Kur -- whose attitude is a scarily extreme example of this trope -- led another during Phobos' reign, even going so far as to also kill the normal people (such as Miranda's parents) who birthed and raised them, [[spoiler:and he seems to be planning another based on Nerissa's lie about Jade being a shapeshifting experiment of Phobos..]].
99** There is also much disgust towards the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Lurdens]].
100** According to Luba, many people mistrust the [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent Passlings]] due to their obsession to shining objects and sometimes annoying habit of trying to trade. Their [[ThePigPen smell]] may also have an effect on it.
101** Galhots are sometimes called Drakes, which they find insulting. Once Vathek nearly broke a human in two for calling him a scaly Drake.
102* FantasticSlurs: Galhots ("scaled people" in the ancient language of Meridian) are sometimes called Drakes. Many of them find it insulting.
103* AFeteWorseThanDeath: It's revealed that Phobos had all of Meridian's other nobility murdered during a ball shortly after he came to power.
104* {{Foil}}: Jade and Elyon to each other in more than one way. Their elements are [[CastingAShadow shadow]] and [[LightEmUp light]], respectively. The Light of Meridian's power rivals the power of the Heart of Kandrakar. According to ancient legends, this can also be the case with shadow magic. They also contrast each other in the way they handle their powers. At the moment, Jade has [[WeakButSkilled far less raw magical power, but uses creatively those she currently has]]. Elyon has [[UnskilledButStrong a lot of raw magical power, but only little control over them]]. However, Elyon is on the way of [[SubvertedTrope subverting]] her status with the lessons she's having from the Oracle. If N'ghala's vision is of any indication, Jade's status will also be subverted by some sort of a power source. Elyon is Meridian's ruler by birthright. According to Yua, Jade will become a queen [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership through thrive and trial]]. Elyon was prophesied to end her brother's tyrannical rule and [[RightfulKingReturns claim her rightful throne]]. Jade is apparently prophesied to [[TheAntichrist end Kandrakar's influence]] and [[DarkMessiah spread darkness across the Known Worlds]]. Elyon is worshiped by most of Meridian's population and Jade is [[HeroWithBadPublicity feared/hated by most of them]]. Elyon is a NaiveEverygirl and Jade is a cunning GuileHeroine. They could also be a TomboyAndGirlyGirl pair. Unlike girls of her age, Jade has a thirst for adventures and eagerness to prove herself. She also has never been much into admiring boys, finding it to be too stupid and girly. Elyon laments the loss of princess excitement of being a queen (a masked ball, Prince Charming, a castle on a cloud...).
105* {{Foreshadowing}}: The vision had by Himerish (and before him, the first Oracle N'ghala) paints a pretty good picture of what's coming, if the reader is smart enough to decipher it.
106* ForWantOfANail: According to WordOfGod, because of Jade's moral compass being more tightly wound than Nerissa's will cause things to start to drift farther from canon later in the story.
107** Also, the story seems to have almost the entire JCA series as canon, but diverges at the final battle, when Drago experiences some serious EvilIsPetty towards Jade.
108** One example is that Nerissa now wants to claim both Jade's [[CastingAShadow shadow powers]] ''and'' Elyon's power as the Heart of Meridian.
109** Instead of Miranda being partnered up with Sandpit for her mission to Earth in the third episode, Nerissa instead sends her with Jade, in order to confirm or deny her theories that "Kage" is from Earth.
110* FrameUp: Jade almost uses the trope name when she hears Miranda's plan for the Guardians.
111* FreudianExcuse:
112** Miranda's lying to and betrayal of Elyon is part of the reason the young queen is so mistrustful of Jade.
113** Miranda is revealed to be mistrustful of others and mostly concerned with her own survival because her parents were killed by Kur [[ForcedToWatch in front of her eyes]] and she had to serve Phobos afterwards. She also holds strong hatred towards Elyon because the Light of Meridian didn't appear to save her parents despite her prayers.
114** Many of the former rebels -- like Caleb and Aldarn -- are young, with their short lives having been spent fighting against Phobos' tyranny. Even after the tyrant's downfall, they hold resentments towards anyone who served Phobos.
115* FullCircleRevolution: The Rebellion is starting to show signs of this, with the somewhat extreme measures they're taking to hunt down the Knights of Vengeance and any other of Phobos' remaining loyalists. These methods include wanted posters, high bounties, reinforced patrols and nightly curfew on the streets, but Caleb also announces that anyone helping the Knights or refusing to assist the New Royal Guard will be arrested on sight. Frost, spying on one of Caleb's public announcements, even comments [[NotSoDifferentRemark how similar to Cedric]] he seemed for a moment.
116* GadgeteerGenius: Nubian, a human/Galhot hybrid with numerous ideas who visits Elyon's court in "Changes that Corrupt", having been inspired when he briefly crossed the Veil as a child and seen Earth technology, even buying a few things from Blunk to study.
117* GameFace: When the Queen takes over Jade's body, Jade's eyes turn solid red (as opposed to having red irises with pupils, as in the picture above) and she grows fangs.
118* GenerationXerox: Phobos to his ancestor Kronos, who also tried to usurp the power of the Light of Meridian.
119* GhostMemory: The Queen reveals that when Jade wore one of the two halves of the Crab Khan Oni Mask, the General mixed his mind with Jade's to take control of her body and shared memories and subconscious traits as a side-effect. Only the Queen remembers them because Jade subconsciously blocked them out, but the former is able to share them with the latter when Jade complies.
120* GlamourFailure: Jade was able to notice that "the Mage's" [[TheShadowKnows shadow didn't match up with her physical appearance]] (something that happened occasionally in canon), though she hasn't managed to figure out what it means yet (as she's been a little preoccupied).
121* GoMadFromTheRevelation: At one point Tibor expresses the belief that Althair's actions and descent into madness was because he couldn't deal with the knowledge of N'Ghala's final prophecy, specifically the possibility that anything could challenge Kandrakar's reign, since the sages had come to believe it was invincible.
122* GoodIsNotNice: The Guardians, Elyon, and the rebels, at least towards Jade. And it seems that [[FullCircleRevolution the rebels are slowly extending this towards the common people]].
123* GrayingMorality: The story is subverting the canon BlackAndWhiteMorality viewpoint of ''W.I.T.C.H.'' through character expansion and [[HeroWithBadPublicity Jade's]] interactions with the Knights of Vengeance, the [[HeroAntagonist Guardians]] and [[FullCircleRevolution the (former) rebellion]]. Kandrakar is also grayed with its past including [[WellIntentionedExtremist Althair the Mad Sage]] and the ruthlessness Yua says N'Ghala to have practiced.
124* HalfHumanHybrid: Galhots and humans are compatible, Aldarn and Nubian both being examples (with Elyon noting that the latter could probably pass for human with a bit of effort).
125* {{Hammerspace}}: Jade can summon a seemingly limitless number of kunai and shuriken out of her sleeves. Both she and Miranda lampshade this:
126--> "Seriously, how the heck does this thing work?" Jade thought as for the hundredth time a kunai slid from her sleeve directly into her palm the moment she wanted a weapon. And when she didn't want one, the kunai slid back into her sleeve and even more amazing was the fact that she didn't feel it when touching the sleeve.\
127"Where in the world does this outfit keeps its weapons?" Jade thought again as she closed her right hand and imagined a few shuriken in it. And once she opened her hand, a handful of the throwing stars were there.\
128--> [...]
129-->"How many weapons do you have?" Miranda asked, having spent several minutes watching the blue girl making that strange knife appear and disappear several times, and now those star shaped objects she imagined would be used by throwing.\
130"As many as I want," Jade responded while still looking at the shuriken.\
131"I think," she added mentally as she closed her hand and then reopened it with the shuriken gone.
132* HealingFactor: One of Meridianite shapeshifters' natural abilities is an advanced healing capacity. After falling from a great height, Miranda needs only one night to recover fully.
133* HenchmenRace: Meridian didn't have any other shapeshifters than the Mogriffs until one millennium ago. By the time Prince Kronos stole the throne, he had his sorcerers study the Mogriffs' shapeshifter abilities and instill them into members of Meridian's other races. The first created shapeshifters helped the prince rule with an iron fist until his downfall. Those not imprisoned scattered amidst Meridian's population, with most of them living as recluses these days.
134* HeroWithBadPublicity: Jade in Meridian.
135* HeroicSacrifice: When Jade realizes that her family and friends cannot stop Drago's curse from dragging her through her shadow, she says a tearful goodbye (cluing Viper into what she was planning), then releases Jackie's hands before anyone can stop her, so that they wouldn't suffer the same fate.
136* HistoryRepeats: Prince Kronos, one of Elyon's ancestors, also killed his mother and tried to steal the power of the Light of Meridian for himself. He also forced his sister into hiding for years.
137* AHouseDivided: [[WeAreStrugglingTogether There is still some mistrust between Phobos' former guards and the rebels]], who up until a few days before the start of the story had been at war with each other for years.
138* HypocriticalHumor:
139** Miranda calls Jade strange when discussing her {{Hammerspace}} abilities, despite being [[VoluntaryShapeshifting a shapeshifter with the ability to become a giant spider-like creature]].
140--->'''Miranda:''' You are a strange one.\
141'''Jade:''' *in her thoughts* [[LampshadeHanging So says the girl that can turn into a spider like creature]].
142** When Vathek [[KirkSummation tells Phobos that being defeated by six teenaged girls makes him look pathetic]], Phobos quickly retorts that the mighty Rebellion seems to fear Jade, who is even younger than those aforementioned teenagers.
143** When Jade and Miranda witness Will talking to her calculator, they believe she's going crazy since they're unaware she's a {{Technopath}}. Earlier that same day, Miranda argued with Jade who was in her shadow at the time, confusing the students who only saw a teenage girl yelling at her own shadow. Furthermore, Jade regularly [[TheManInTheMirrorTalksBack talks with the Queen when she sees the latter on reflective surfaces]], which she admits makes her look mad.
144* IfOnlyYouKnew: When Jade first sees Will talking to her calculator, it briefly passes in her mind that she's a {{Technopath}} before she dismisses it as craziness.
145* IgnoredEpiphany:
146** {{Justified|Trope}}. Elyon and the Guardians assume that Jade is a minion of Phobos and chase her to interrogate and imprison her. But when she's knocked unconscious, they acknowledge they made mistakes and Elyon orders that she be treated as a guest and her wounds be tended to. Unfortunately, after Caleb disobeys those orders and Nerissa uses her position as the Mage to lie about Jade's origins, the situation is made so that the girls lose any sense of guilt about how they treated Jade, now viewing her as a monster.
147** {{Downplayed|Trope}}. After Jade calls out Will for how Raythor was framed, Will discusses it with her friends and admits Jade's point, but her friends tell her she was right and that there's nothing they can do to change it. While Will still feels guilty, she comes to agree with the others.
148* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: This happens almost literally with shapeshifters, who age normally for the first part of their lives, then stop aging entirely at about 18-20 years old, and can live for four to five centuries.
149* InformedAttribute: InUniverse, many of the Sages of Kandrakar have come to believe that the fortress is "invincible". Tibor believes that Althair found N'Ghala's vision of something that could challenge Kandrakar -- or even overthrow it -- so disturbing that it prompted his turn to madness.
150* InnateNightVision: Both Jade and Miranda have enhanced eyesight that enables them to see well in the dark.
151* IntergenerationalFriendship: Jade and Raythor seem to be forming one. She's a 12-year-old child and he's nearly 100 years old (still middle-aged for a Galhot).
152* JerkassBall: Miranda. Her talk about eating Passlings turns out to be BlatantLies. She's still a {{Jerkass}}, but she purposely acts like she's worse than she is.
153* JerkassHasAPoint:
154** When Jade refuses to become a killer, the Queen points out that she already ''is'', bringing up the time she killed Shendu with the Dragon Talisman, and stating how -- regardless of Shendu coming back afterwards -- at the time they thought (and for all intents and purposes ''had'') they had killed him.
155** Kur, of all people, is the one to point out how blindly everyone is following "the Mage's" advice.
156** The Queen later makes a good argument for them being stuck in another universe, and tells Jade that she fears the Shadowkhan because she's afraid of turning into the Queen, but at the same time she's drawn to them and their dark powers.
157* KatanasAreJustBetter: As shown in the picture above, Jade eventually gets a shadow katana (a gift from the Queen).
158* KnifeOutline: Nerissa does this to Aldarn with arrows when she frees Jade and Miranda.
159* KnightOfCerebus: Kur seems to be gradually becoming this, with him being [[TokenEvilTeammate the most extreme member of the new Meridian government]], a vehement [[FantasticRacism anti-shapeshifter]] [[KnightTemplar fanatic]] and one of the biggest factors regarding Miranda's StartOfDarkness.
160* KnightTemplar: Some of the rebels somewhat come off as this, especially Kur's faction.
161* LampshadeHanging: To give some examples:
162** Jade lampshades how Caleb's BlackAndWhiteMorality viewpoint can border on BlackAndWhiteInsanity:
163---> This guy was really pushing Jade's buttons. Either he was a hero of this... place or thought himself to be one; either way, she never had encountered someone so shortsighted. Maybe Jackie followed a very strict code of morals and tried to drill that into her, but at least he was not that intolerant to others that didn't follow his beliefs. Even with Viper, he was at most annoyed by her "lifestyle" than truly condemning her, not to mention he and Uncle gave Tohru a chance when others, even Jade herself at the time, were not that forgiving. And of course, there was Jackie's infinite patience when dealing with her "misdeeds".
164---> But this guy resembled one of those comic book heroes with a much too narrowed view that only saw black and white, with no grey in the middle. And to think, she thought that was cool once.
165** Jade mentally lampshades Taranee's [[DreadlockRasta haircut]] in Guardian form when she first sees it.
166** She later lampshades Miranda's HypocriticalHumor.
167* LifeIsntFair: This is Miranda's opinion, as she tells Jade in "Changes that Corrupt".
168-->'''Miranda''': The only justice that I know is the one that people create and enforce. Everyone has their own definition of right and wrong, but [[MightMakesRight only strength determines which set of rights and wrongs prevails]].\
169'''Jade''': I don't believe in that. There is right, and there is wrong. As much as there is good and evil. It's how the world works.\
170'''Miranda''': Then you are as naïve as Elyon is. Or the Guardians and the Rebels, for that matter. There is no evil, just as there is no good. Life is cruel and ruthless, not wrong. Or right. It simply is.
171* LingeringSocialTensions: There's still a lot of tension between the victorious Rebels and the former Guards.
172* LivingShadow: The Queen has gained enough power to partially manifest in Jade's shadow.
173* LogicBomb: Jade manages to do this to Miranda when the latter tells her that you can't trust anyone.
174* [[LostTechnology Lost Art]]: [[CastingAShadow Shadow magic]] has apparently not been practiced ''at '''all''''' in the W.I.T.C.H. universe for centuries (if not millennia), and although it is said that a few spellbooks on the subject and the "sources of darkness" probably remain, Kandrakar itself has next to ''no'' information on it, save that it can consume whoever uses it.
175** This is because Althair, a mad member of the Kandrakar's Council, [[InvokedTrope purposefully tried to get rid of all information on it]].
176** This has led Nerissa to plan to claim Jade's abilities as her own in addition to Elyon's.
177* ManipulativeBitch: Nerissa, disguised as the Mage, tells the rebels that Jade is a monster and a servant of Phobos, knowing that they'll turn on her, leaving her no place to go but with the Knights of Vengeance.
178* TheManInTheMirrorTalksBack: The Queen can speak to Jade like this.
179* MayDecemberRomance: Miranda (who's 14) and Cedric (whose age is unknown, but he's at least in his 20s).
180* MeaningfulName: "[[TitleDrop Kage]]", Jade's alias, is Japanese for "shadow".
181* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: This is Jade's reaction after the Queen takes over and nearly kills Caleb and the Guardians. And then Elyon has this reaction when she nearly kills Jade in a fit of rage in response.
182* NiceJobBreakingItHero: If the Guardians hadn't been so quick to attack Jade when she arrived in Meridian, or if Elyon hadn't nearly fried her with her powers after the [[EnemyWithin Queen]] briefly took over, Jade might not have ended up with Nerissa.
183* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Raythor comforting Jade when she's being crushed with guilt over realizing she's killed before is able to temporarily derail the Queen's attempts at taking over.
184* NoCureForEvil: Averted. After Jade receives serious burns from Elyon's rays, some shadows that are possibly controlled by the Queen cover Jade and heal her wounds without leaving so much as a scar.
185* NobleDemon: Raythor, to Jade's surprise -- among other things, his first reaction to meeting Jade is to refuse to let Nerissa force a child to fight their war. It's only when Jade herself insists on fighting (due to her own new vendetta against the Guardians and Elyon) and proves she can fight, that he backs down.
186-->'''Jade:''' Wow, a bad guy with honor? Now I have seen everything.
187* NoSell: Elyon's "teleport them to the jail" trick doesn't work on Jade. Nerissa explains why in Chapter 8 -- that spell only works on beings native to Meridian, which Jade is not.
188* NotQuiteFlight: When Jade uses her ninja outfit's tissue to glide for the first time, this trope is discussed by some of the amazed onlookers.
189-->'''Irma''': She can fly?\
190'''Hay Lin''': I think it's gliding, not real flight.\
191'''Irma''': Same difference.
192* NotSoDifferentRemark:
193** Raythor notes that Jade is [[TokenGoodTeammate more noble than the other Knights]], even comparing her to the Guardians (though due to their GoodIsNotNice attitude towards her, she denies it).
194** Jade mentally compares Raythor and [[HeelFaceTurn Tohru]] at one point.
195** Raythor and Frost both compare Caleb to Cedric when the former gives a speech about the means being taken to hunt down Phobos' remaining loyalists.
196** When Jade notices how many of the rebels are holding onto their old bitterness towards [[MookFaceTurn the Guard]], she thinks about the irony of how that makes them not that different from the other Knights. She also expresses the belief that if the Meridianites could, they would wait for centuries to have their revenge, like [[SinsOfOurFathers Shendu]] did for nine centuries.
197* NoYou: Jade (or the Queen) delivers this to Caleb when he and the Guardians are bound by her CombatTentacles made of shadows.
198-->'''Caleb''': YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!\
199'''Jade''': No, you are the ones who won't get away with pursuing me, insulting me, and humiliating me.
200* OffTheRails: According to Yua, the longer Nerissa attempts to force Kage into her plans, the greater the disruption to them she will cause. The timeline changes are already slowly becoming more visible, and of course this will only deepen further in.
201* OlderThanTheyLook[=/=]ReallySevenHundredYearsOld:
202** Jade is briefly surprised when Will looks younger than she did [[OlderAlterEgo in her Guardian form]], with Miranda explaining that the age a Guardian is when transformed is constant, making it a combination of this trope and YoungerThanTheyLook.
203** Galhots/Drakes like Raythor and Frost live for around 200 years on average. Raythor himself is about 100, much to Jade's surprise, and Frost is about 70.
204** Shapeshifters [[ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty stop aging around 18 or twenty and can live for four to five centuries afterwards]]. Jade briefly assumes this about Miranda, but it turns out she's only 14.
205** Yua was apparently alive before the reign of the first Oracle of Kandrakar, and that was centuries (if not millenia) ago.
206* {{Original Character}}s: Kur, Althair, the original Kage, Othis and Zanna (Miranda's parents).
207* PayEvilUntoEvil: Though Jade acknowledges that Miranda's plan to frame the Guardians of Elyon's disappearance is harsh, she goes along with it so that the Guardians would learn how Raythor felt when he was framed as a traitor by them.
208* PetTheDog:
209** Raythor's kindness towards Jade, especially when compared to the treatment she has received from the Guardians and the rebels.
210** A literal example involving Tracker and his dog, Sniffer -- Tracker helps him adjust to Jade so that she won't get attacked by him.
211* PinnedToTheWall: Jade traps Drake with a kunai while the Knights capture Tynar.
212* PowerIncontinence: As an effect of a power boost, Cornelia has trouble controlling her powers.
213* PragmaticHero: When Will discusses her guilt over framing Raythor, the others assure her that she made the right choice at the time. Even Yan Lin thinks that while it's horrible to frame a innocent, it was the best option they had.
214* PunctuatedForEmphasis:
215** Jade does this when Miranda first questions her identity.
216--->'''Jade''': Do I have to repeat what I said to those hardheads? I! Don't! Work! For! This! Phobos! Guy!
217** The Queen does this while truthfully denying Jade's accusations of hampering with her efforts to contact her family.
218--->'''The Queen''': Read my lips. I! Didn't! Do! It!
219* ThePurge:
220** 200 years ago, Elyon's grandmother Queen Lysanna ordered a mass purge of the shapeshifters. More recently, Kur carried out a smaller-scale one early in Phobos' reign, and is trying to manipulate Elyon into ordering another massive one.
221** Centuries ago, Althair the Mad Sage and his followers carried out the Great Purge across the Known Worlds, killing thousands (especially children) to try and prevent the "Incoming Darkness".
222** Shortly after coming to power, Phobos had the entirety of the rest of Meridian's nobility killed in order to prevent any rival claimants to the throne.
223* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Himerish is willing to give Jade the benefit of a doubt rather than automatically assume that the prophecy is to be taken as inevitable.
224* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
225** Phobos delivers one to Caleb, telling him that it was the Guardians and Elyon who defeated him, not the Rebellion, which he considers a bunch of armed peasants. Vathek then points out that Phobos was dethroned by a group of teenage girls, causing everybody there to laugh at him. Phobos still gets the last laugh by pointing out how the mighty Rebellion seems to fear Jade, who is even younger than the Guardians and Elyon.
226** Jade delivers a scathing one [[WhatTheHellHero to Will]] after she learns of the FrameUp the Guardians pulled on Raythor and his resulting banishment to the Abyss of Shadows, saying that such an act makes the Guardians unworthy of being called heroes. The following day, Will is actually conceding Jade's point before her friends push her concerns aside.
227* RetGone: [[spoiler:On the parallel Earth [=W.I.T.C.H.=] takes place in, Jade does not exist. Instead a girl named Stacie is Jackie Chan's niece, a young girl aspiring to follow her uncle into acting.]]
228* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: The Rebellion has been made [[AdaptationalJerkass more ruthless than it was shown to be in canon]].
229** Nearly two years earlier, some rebels stirred up the population of Sonder Hill to revolt openly and violently against Prince Phobos. They even murdered tribute collectors. Before the army arrived to punish the village, the instigators fled, and the Rebellion didn't show up to stop the slaughter that took place in the village.
230** Kur was already a member when he committed his purge of shapeshifters that cost the lives of Miranda's parents.
231* RunningGag: Jade referring to the Guardians as fairies and Elyon as "crazy blonde", "blonde chick" or "blonde psycho".
232* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Kur, a village elder and rebel leader, has no problem speaking his mind, however rude it might be.
233* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: After helping Miranda set up the frame job on the Guardians, Jade runs off, determined to prove that she's still on her version of Earth and reclaim her life.]]
234* SecretIdentity: Jade goes by "[[MeaningfulName Kage]]" in Meridian.
235* SecretTestOfCharacter: Jade quickly figures out that the reason "Kage" was sent to spy on the castle and find out where Tynar was going to be (so they could capture him) instead of one of the other Knights wasn't ''just'' because of tactics (though Raythor's reasoning ''was'' pretty sound, in that Jade's [[CastingAShadow power to enter shadows]] would be ideal for the task), it was because Raythor wanted to gauge her loyalty to the cause.
236* SeenItAll: When Jade sees the Knights of Vengeance all together in one place, she notes to herself that she's seen weirder. She makes a similar comment when Raythor proves to be a NobleDemon.
237-->'''Jade:''' Wow, a bad guy with honor? Now I have seen everything.
238* SelfFulfillingProphecy: Himerish feels that the way he handled things with Nerissa and Cassidy only made things worse despite meaning to do the exact opposite.
239* SerialNumbersFiledOff: InUniverse, [[spoiler:the show the W.I.T.C.H.-verse Jackie and Stacie are in is basically ''Jackie Chan Adventures'' with mostly cosmetic changes. Stacie's complaints about the BigBad Akuma's OrcusOnHisThrone status leads to a comment by Jackie that implies they're even going to include an equivalent of the Shadowkhan as minions, partly because there's no time for more sophisticated magical servants]].
240* ShoutOut:
241** Himerish's thoughts on greatness sound a lot like Mr. Ollivander's words from the first ''Literature/HarryPotter'' book:
242---> "Unfortunately greatness is neutral in itself. It can serve the greater good or bring a great evil instead. It all depends of the person in question."
243** Also, according to WordOfGod, Jade's banishment scene was partially inspired by another Dark Jade fic, ''Fanfic/HerShadowedRealm''.
244** According to the WordOfGod, the idea to have Miranda's appetite for Passlings be a false rumor came from another W.I.T.C.H. fanfic.
245** At one point, the Queen sarcastically suggests that Tarakudo has been visiting Jade in her dreams, something that actually happens in a number of other Dark Jade fics.
246** While in Heatherfield, Jade complains that Miranda would make [[WesternAnimation/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas the Grinch]] look like a NiceGuy.
247** Miranda's comments about how you can't trust anyone sound suspiciously similar to [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender another character]] voiced by Creator/GreyDeLisle.
248** When Jade tells Miranda that she can teach her everything about the Earth, she calls the other girl "[[Series/KungFu1972 little grasshopper]]".
249** The Queen calls herself at one point Jade's "[[ComicBook/SpiderMan friendly neighborhood Queen of the Shadowkhan]]".
250* SnakePeople: Viperinin are sentient serpentine Meridianite beasts, with most of them being shapeshifters like Cedric.
251* SneezeCut:
252** With Jade in Chapter 10.
253** [[spoiler: Alternate!Jackie]] in Chapter 12.
254* SoreLoser: [[EvilIsPetty Drago]]. It's even ''[[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by the chapter title''!
255* SpannerInTheWorks: Yua foresees Jade as being this to Nerissa's plans in the long run.
256* {{Squick}}: InUniverse, this is the collective response from the Knights when Jade eats a dead rat, including cracking open its skull to slurp its brain.
257* StagedPopulistUprising: This story gives details on how Nerissa was involved in Phobos' rise to power and the rebellion against him.
258* StopWorshippingMe: Elyon is ''very'' uncomfortable with being worshipped by Meridian's population.
259* TantrumThrowing: After failing to make a call to any of her family or friends while in Heatherfield, Jade breaks the phone by throwing it toward a wall.
260* TemptingFate:
261** When Caleb complains about his lack of success at capturing the remaining Phobos' minions, he wonders if Phobos, Cedric, and Miranda would escape the dungeons of Infinite City. Immediately he heard a horn signaling that yes, somebody did escape from the dungeons.
262---> '''Caleb:''' "[[LampshadeHanging I had to jinx it]]."
263** And earlier, when the Guardians start chasing Jade when she first arrives to Meridian, Irma proclaims nearly arrogantly that they couldn't possibly lose to her and Caleb would probably beat her himself (Yan Lin ''did'' warn them that you shouldn't underestimate an enemy you don't know). The chase ends with the Guardians, Caleb and a dozen of the Guards trapped by CombatTentacles made of shadows and Jade (under the Queen's influence) ready to [[BrainFood eat their brains]]. All they can do is staring helplessly and fearfully, and they're saved only by Jade restraining herself.
264* TeethClenchedTeamwork: The dynamic between Jade and Miranda, though Miranda says that, if it wasn't for Raythor, the entire group would be at each other's throat. Jade lampshades this in Chapter 9 when Miranda and Frost argue.
265* TitleDrop: Jade calls herself "[[MeaningfulName Kage]]" when Nerissa asks her name.
266* TokenGoodTeammate: Jade to the Knights of Vengeance. Raythor lampshades this trope by stating that Jade is far more noble and less evil than the rest of the group. According to [[TheNoseKnows Blunk]], all the Knights smell very bad, except "Kage". Much to the Passling's confusion, he finds her smell to be "half good and half bad".
267* ToThePain: When Miranda corners Jade and questions her motives, Jade (or possibly the Queen in another moment of temporary control), threatens to [[AnArmAndALeg rip off her limbs]], [[EyeScream gouge out her eyes]], and [[BrainFood eat her brain]].
268* TwoGirlsToATeam: With Jade/"Kage" joining the Knights of Vengeance, they now have two female members instead of just the canonical Miranda.
269* UnexpectedSuccessor:
270** Centuries earlier, the power of the Light of Meridian was lost for a time when Prince Kronos killed his mother Queen Gaia before she could transfer it to Princess Rhea, only to eventually manifest in Weira the First, Rhea's daughter and Elyon's great-great grandmother.
271** Phobos eliminated the rest of Meridian's nobility in to avert this trope and make sure there was no one left to challenge his reign.
272* UnskilledButStrong: Elyon is powerful, but she was never taught by her brother how to properly control her powers.
273* VerbThis: When Irma and Hay Lin laugh at Jade during their second confrontation, she mutters "Laugh at this, dorks" before she begins throwing shurikens at them.
274* VillainousBreakdown: Drago appears to be in the middle of one when casting the spell that banishes Jade, {{Laughing Mad}}ly as he does so and even as he and Shendu get banished themselves.
275* WantedPoster: Each Knight gets one to be spread throughout Meridian. Jade's poster shows her when the Queen controls their body.
276* WaterWakeup: Aldarn does this to Jade after she's been knocked unconscious by Elyon.
277* WeakButSkilled: Jade, at least when compared to the Guardians and Elyon. She has nowhere near their raw power (yet at least), but uses what she ''does'' have to great effect.
278* WeAreAsMayflies: Non-magical humans are short-lived compared to most of the other species on Meridian, sapient or not, though [[WizardsLiveLonger magical humans can extend their lifespan]], with Elyon's family being one of the notable examples.
279** The Drakes/Galhots usually live to be about 200 years old. For example, Raythor is about 100, and is considered middle-aged for his race.
280** [[OurOrcsAreDifferent The Lurden]] live about as long as the Galhot.
281** [[{{Cyclops}} Gargoyle's people]] can live to be about a thousand years old.
282** Shapeshifters [[ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty age normally for the first 18-20 years of their lives, then cease aging entirely]] for the rest of their four to five hundred year lifespan.
283* WeAreStrugglingTogether:
284** There's a lot of tension between the rebels and Phobos' former Guards, while even among the rebels themselves there is a lot of disagreement and arguing.
285** According to Miranda, this is the Knights of Vengeance's situation as well, or it would be if it wasn't for Raythor.
286* WellIntentionedExtremist:
287** Long ago, a disciple of Kandrakar, Althair the Mad Sage, led a crusade across the Known Worlds, killing thousands (especially children) in order to prevent Oracle N'ghala's vision of the "Incoming Darkness" from coming to pass.
288** Nerissa ''believes'' that she is one.
289* WhatTheHellHero: Jade gives Will a scathing TheReasonYouSuckSpeech over framing Raythor as a traitor.
290* WhoWouldBeStupidEnough: Nerissa didn't think that Frost would be stupid enough to attack the Guardians on his own, but she changes her mind after she uses a tracking spell that shows him doing ''exactly'' that.
291* WhoWouldWantToWatchUs: [[spoiler: The alternate Jackie finds the concept of his new show (JCA with the details slightly changed) ridiculous.]]
292* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Miranda is quite the hateful being, but it's revealed that this is because when she was a child, she was ForcedToWatch Kur kill her parents in front of her as part of his purge of shapeshifters, telling her the whole time that it was her own fault that it happened.
293* TheWorfEffect:
294** When the Queen manages to temporarily take control of Jade, she very nearly defeats the Guardians and Caleb entirely by herself.
295** Kur says that Cedric, who could beat a company of Guards on his own, is probably the strongest shapeshifter to have existed on Meridian, and the Guardians' elemental powers were the main reason they were able to prevail against him as many times as they did.
296* YouCantFightFate: In Chapter 8, Himerish and Tibor briefly [[DiscussedTrope discuss if this trope is valid]]. Himerish is willing to give Jade the benefit of the doubt before judging her and remembers how he could only foresee the outcome of [[FallenHeroine Nerissa]] and Cassidy's tragedy, not the events leading to it. He admits that perhaps [[SelfFulfillingProphecy his attempts to prevent the tragedy put Nerissa onto her path]] and is open to the possibility that maybe the outcome could have been avoided by a different approach. Tibor thinks that the tragedy [[BecauseDestinySaysSo could have happened regardless of anyone's interference]].
297* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: This is Jade's reaction to the giant rose Cornelia creates to defeat the Knights.
298-->'''Jade:''' A GIANT FREAKING ROSE?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

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