(A/N: This chapter took a lot less time than all the others, to which I was kind of surprised about. I haven't uploaded since I've finished it a few days ago because I wanted to submit both this one and the next one, but Chapter 21 has proven to be taking a little longer to go through (That, and the fact that I've been playing Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance like crazy. It has some of the best boss fights and soundtrack I have ever seen!) Truthfully, I've been writing Chapter 21 while writing the earlier chapters as a way to get rid of my writer's block, and I almost finished it. I just now have to go through it and edit any mistakes I've made.

I tried to incorporate Red and Yellow in this chapter as much as I could, but in the end they ended up playing a minor role. They'll have a bigger role in the next set of chapters. This will also explain a little more about what happened to Logan and how Nexus came into being.

This song, in my opinion, fits the fight scene that's on this chapter perfectly. I don't why. It just does for some odd reason.

/watch?v=LO3jBivegxw [Place it beside the YouTube URL])

~ Neoshadow574

Chapter 20: Corruption Part I: A Memory Best Forgotten

Viridian Forest, Normal POV…

The dead silence that filled up the emptiness that lied within the Viridian Forest dissipated wherever Logan went to. Bushes and branches that stood in his way were ploughed down as though they were nothing. Pokémon who were wise enough scurried off or hid when Logan came into view, growling like a wild animal as he did.

He couldn't explain why he was acting like this. Usually when it came to sensing other presences, he was either calm or aggressive depending on whom or what was casting it. This presence, on the other hand, made him feel like he had already given into his rage. The rational part of him told him to stop and turn around; well aware that he could not defeat such a being with whatever amount of power he had right now. But the primal, more dominant part of him told him to keep going; convincing him that whoever or whatever was behind this must not be able to leave the forest alive. Clenching his teeth tightly, Logan picked up the pace and began to leap from one tree to the next, hoping to try and pick up the time that he wasted.

Clear away from him but still having him in view, Saria chased after him as she stayed close to the path of devastation that Logan took as evident from the torn branches that were on the ground. Behind her, Yellow and Red were trying their hardest to keep up with the Vanguard, not used to how fast she was.

The male trainer saw Logan hopping across the trees clear ahead of them and whistled, "Arceus, for someone who looks like he got mauled by an Ursaring, he sure runs pretty fast."

"He is a Vanguard, after all." Saria answered him, "Though I wish I could tell just where he is going. This forest is like a natural maze, as your friends described it. What could it be that has Logan so riled up?"

Yellow wanted to know the same thing, yet secretly she wished she wasn't so curious about it. She had seen the extent of his fury at Celadon City, and the way he was acting now, even though she could barely see him, looked as though he was slowly descending into that once again. As her eyes trailed after him, she took notice of the terrain around them and felt a spark of remembrance in the back of her mind. "Red, doesn't this path seem familiar to you?" She asked him.

Red wasn't sure what she meant until he started to look around at the surroundings as well. Sure enough, memories were beginning to flow as he recognized some of the trees that they've passed. "Come to think of it, it does. But wait? Does that mean-?"

A shout appeared from up ahead, stopping Red mid-sentence. All three of them picked up the pace and burst out of the large set of bushes that were in the way, stopping once they were in the clear.

Both of the trainers took a moment to view their surrounding while Saria looked at Logan with worry. He had summoned both his swords and was pacing around, trying to find whatever it was that brought him here. Fire began to seep along his body in preparation for a possible ambush. As he searched around the area, though, Saria could see his muscles beginning to slacken and his grip slowly loosening around the blades. He then stopped moving completely and started to stare at the area in disbelief.

Sensing what was going on, Saria walked up to his side and asked, "What is it, Logan? Is something wrong?"

There was indeed something wrong, but Logan was unable to say it to her. It was as though his entire body, from his skin down to his nervous systems, had frozen completely at the sight of what was in front of him. He shook his head as his eyes grew wide, uttering out a few words in a voice that was too faint for Saria to hear.

"It can't be..."

By the time he finished saying that, both Red and Yellow have noticed where they were and said the same thing, only a little louder this time.

Right in front of them, in the clearing surrounded by the trees and within the light of the setting sun, was the lake from Day One.

The same lake that Yellow had saved and met Logan for the first time.

Logan shook his head again and uttered out a long string of no's, each one growing louder and more aggressive than the last. This had to be a mistake. There was no way that whatever was casting such a powerful presence could have been hiding here, in the first place that he had been to. He would have been able to detect such a force the moment he was pulled out of the water. How was it able to escape his notice for so long? He slammed both swords onto the ground, leaving slash marks where they struck and cursed.

The trainers were also expressing shock at the fact that they were back at the lake. Their minds played back memories of that day; how it went from sleeping under the stars to a night of mystery from Logan and horror from the Endless. One particular memory made Red cringe as he recalled fighting against the Grim that tried to kill Yellow. The hatred and evil that he saw within those faint crimson eyes sent shivers down his spine.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Red began as he carefully observed each tree for where their mysterious foe was, "We were here just a few days ago! I mean sure a lot of things happened, like meeting Logan and almost being killed by Endless, but one of us would have known right away if there was something else here!"

"Whatever is here was hiding itself and its presence from the forest itself. If the forest felt something that wasn't a part of it, then I would have felt the same thing." Yellow answered honestly.

Saria picked up on their conversation and questioned them, "You have been here before?"

"We've all been here, Saria. This was where I met Logan after I pulled him out of the lake." Yellow took a quick glance at him and added, "I still can't believe that I thought he was a Pokémon that day."

Their conversation was interrupted as they heard Logan screamed out in fury. They all looked at him just in time to see fire masking around his swords. His eyes blazed in fury as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Is this supposed to be some kind of a joke?!" He turned around wildly, scanning the trees for any sign of movement before his shouting continued, "Whoever brought me here; I know you're there! Show yourself now, before I find you myself!"

"Logan, what has gotten into you?" Saria questioned him. Logan had never acted like this before. Why was he like this now?

He didn't respond to her and instead continued to scan the area. He knew that there was something close by, but where exactly he could not tell. The Endless could be hiding somewhere in the trees, hiding underground, anywhere. And in an area with so many places to hide, it was the perfect ambush setting.

Suddenly, to his surprise, he heard a voice speaking to him in his mind. The voice sounded ancient, and he could immediately detect the sense of wisdom that it held. -Such anger and fury flows within this one. Young you may be, but there is no mistaking the immense amount of power that is within you.- The voice grew silent before it spoke once more, -I see that you have not come alone. You are accompanied by another Vanguard, one who serves as your Guide, and two of the humans who live on this world.-

The others heard the voice as well, and each of them was just as surprised as Logan. They all looked around frantically, desperately searching in vain for where this thing was hiding. "Who are you?" Saria asked the voice, "And why have you summoned Logan here?"

The voice let out a long deep breath before answering, -You know full well who I am, Saria.- At the mention of her name, Saria froze. How did this thing knew her name? -I know many things about you, and the war that you wage against the Dark Lord and his Endless Army. As for who I am, you may simply refer to me as 'The Judge'.-

Her eyes widen upon hearing that. This being was the Judge? If that was true, then that means that Logan was here to be…

Logan didn't believe it and mocked the voice, "Well, if you're so high and mighty, then stop hiding in the shadows and face me! Or are you just a coward who's all talk but no action?"

Saria gasped at what she was hearing, "Logan, do you have any idea who you are insulting? This is the Judge, the one who will test you and see if you are ready to face the Dark Lord!"

"What?" Logan asked, obviously miffed from what she said.

He was about to ask her why she didn't say anything about the so-called 'Judge' before the voice spoke again, this time more directed to him. -If that is what you wish.-

None of them were prepared as the earth suddenly shook underneath their feet. Yellow began to stumble and grabbed Red at the last second to stop herself from falling. The two Vanguards maintained their footing, but Logan kept his eyes peeled for their upcoming visitor. He was so busy looking around the trees that he didn't notice the bubbles that started to form in the lake.

This did not escape Saria's attention, and when she saw what was going on, she immediately called out, "Logan! The lake!"

As one, all of them looked at the lake just to see the surface explode. Under the control of gravity, the water fell back down, only this time revealing that which had appeared. The very sight took everyone by surprise.

Sitting on a flat circular island was a large, muscular man and a wolf-like creature beside him. He was sitting with his legs crossed, both hands placed on his knees in a state of mediation. A brown shawl covered his shoulders while the hood connected to it shrouded his face. The rest of his clothes consisted of what looked like a ceremonial robe with gold lining and symbols torn in half, leaving his upper body exposed. A staff bearing an intricate wooden design with a beautiful white orb attached to it laid in front of him. The entity's skin was even darker than Logan's, matching the very colours of the darkness. They heard him emitting a deep breath before he opened his eyes, revealing twin white lights that seemed to stare right through their souls. The sunlight reflecting off of the water that had latched onto him from his resurface made him appear as though he was a god.

The wolf itself was also a strange creature. Its fur was a mixture of black and blue and had two tendrils coming out of its black 'mane', bearing a similar appearance to the ones from Logan's Soul Form. A red coloured stone was on both 'arms', casting out a red glow when the sunlight reflected it. Its black snout sniffed the air a few times while its long, bushy tail began to sway across the ground. Its eyes appeared to be closed, looking like nothing but two black slits on its blue furry face. One of its ears shook as it detected the sound of the group's breathing and turned its head towards them.

The being reached a hand out and scratched the wolf behind its neck, watching as tilted its head to allow him to pet it easily. He then turned his attention to the group and picked up his staff before proceeding to stand up. Once he was at full height, the being stepped forward.

Red expected to see the strange man's foot sink into the lake the moment it made contact, but to his amazement, as well as the others, it didn't. The foot was on top of the lake's surface like it was solid ground. He stepped forward with his other foot, removing himself from the island completely. With each step he took, he moved closer and closer to the group before his feet soon made contact with the grassy shoreline. The wolf took a few steps back before it pounced forward, doing just the same as its master and landed perfectly on top of the water. The wolf pounced again and again, closing the distance even faster than the man, and landing beside him on the shore. It shook its fur and sat down again, glancing at each member of the group.

Now that he was close enough for them to see, Logan took notice just how tall the being was. He towered over him like a giant, somewhere around twice his height, and he could see the almost skeletal-like structure that his face bore. His black hair reached below his shoulders and had two tufts that formed his front bangs in front of his face. There was another thing that Logan took notice now that the being was close enough, and it was enough to make his blood boil.

On his upper right arm were the outlines of the Mark of the Endless, burnt from the flesh by a fiery grip.

The Endless closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, immediately noticing the crisp, clean air. The wide mixture of smells, from the dirt to the trees themselves and then down to the lake, brought a smile upon his face. He let out a breath of relief and soon spoke. As he did, his mouth began to move in motion with his words, something that Logan had rarely seen an Endless do. -Ah… It has been so long since I last walked the earth. The scent… it is different now, but I can still smell the ones that I have smelted a millennium ago. The world itself feels different as well, like the darkness had consumed a part of it.- He looked down at the group of Vanguards and humans and bowed with one hand against his chest, -My apologies. It has been ages since my companion and I have hid ourselves within the lake. I am Seth and this,- His hand moved over to the wolf that sat beside him, -is my companion, Shinobi.-

The wolf barked in response. It too bore the Mark of the Endless, only this one was on its forehead. It too was burnt right off.

Saria stared at Seth in astonishment. His size and appearance was intimidating to say the least, and he certainly had that air around him that screamed Endless. But when she looked up at his eyes, she could see wisdom behind those white walls. And something that she had never seen in an Endless before... Honour.

While she was confused about the idea of an Endless having such an emotion, she bowed to him respectfully, much to Logan's shock, and spoke to him in a kind and welcoming manner. "It is an honour to be in your presence, Great Judge. Though I had never pictured you to be an Endless."

The Endless laughed calmly and knelt down to one knee in front of her before replying in the same tone, -As it is for me to be in the presence of a Guide. Though, I must confess, I envisioned you to be a little older than you are now.- He diverted his attention over to Red and Yellow, who were staring at him with a mix of awe and fear. -Nor did I expect Humans to have accompanied you and the Warrior.-

The Guide mentally slapped herself for forgetting about the trainers and introduced them to him, "Forgive me for not introducing them earlier; this is Red and Yellow. They're both denizens of this world. The Viridian Forest is also Yellow's home."

-Ah… I see.- He cast his white pupiless eyes at Yellow and leaned his head forward to get a better look at her, -So you are a child of the Viridian Forest, blessed with its miracles.- He placed a long, bony finger underneath her chin and turned her head, taking note of her facial features. His touch was cold yet also warm at the same time. -Yes, you do bear a resemblance to a child of the forest I have once known. Your heart may be young, but there is no mistaking the love and loyalty you have to your friends. An admirable trait for one at your age.-

Yellow's face blushed a slight shade of red at the compliment. It felt so weird for an Endless to compliment her. But at the same time, it felt normal.

"HEY!"

All eyes moved over to Logan at the sound of his voice. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, and it shocked him knowing that his friends were falling for such an obvious act. "Have you all forgotten that this is an Endless we're dealing with?! This thing can't be whatever it is that Saria called it!"

Saria was about to scold Logan for insulting the Judge once again before said Endless stood up and slowly walked over to him. Logan cast a fierce glare at the Endless as he was now right in front of him.

Seth looked over at Logan, taking note of the scars that lined his body and how he truly was in his heart. He was surprised upon what he discovered, but he kept silent about it and spoke out loud. -You are Logan Stone, the Vanguard who has taken the mantle of Warrior after Vitaru, correct?-

His gaze never faltered its glare, and he responded with anger seething in his voice, "Yes."

-Then you are aware as to why you have been summoned.- Seth hopped back, giving a lot of distance between him and Logan. He spun the staff in his hand before slamming the bottom end of it onto the ground. He stood tall and proud like a knight, ready to fight.

Logan said nothing and took a few steps forward, spinning both swords as he did. Before he could take another step, Saria stepped in and placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to hold him back for a moment to tell him something, "Logan, I understand that you want to fight against him, but you must listen to me; Seth is no regular Endless. He has spent more than a thousand years waiting for your arrival, and has more than likely spent that time preparing himself for this moment. He may be too powerful for you to face." Her hands moved over to his left hand and held it tightly, her concern very evident on her eyes. "Plus, you are still injured from your last fight. If you do not stop this and wait until you are fully restored, then you might not be able to survive this fight."

She immediately felt the intensity of his glare fall upon her as he wrenched his shoulder free from her grasp. She could see that his temper was already at its peak, and that he was struggling in holding it back for her safety. The air grew silent around them before the Endless broke it.

-Your Guide speaks the truth, Warrior. In your current state, you may not be able to survive the Test. It is not too late for you to back down and wait until you have grown stronger.-

A surge of anger swept across Logan as he barred his teeth at him, "I'm not backing down like a coward. You're an Endless, and all Endless bleed the same way. You're no exception."

Saria's eyes widen as she took a few steps back, knowing what was about to happen. Yellow stepped forward after how long she and Red had remained silent and shouted at him, "Logan, I really think you should listen to them. Fighting in your state is suicide! You can't help people if you get killed!"

The swords sliced the ground and before anyone knew it, Logan charged at the Endless, "Then I'll just have to make sure I win this fight!"

He was a few feet away from Seth before the Endless threw up his staff and blocked both swords, then immediately followed it up with a swift backhand. He was flown back a few feet before he slowed down to a halt. He raised his hand up and wiped it across his mouth, a trail of blood already escaping from his lips.

Seeing him in trouble, the two trainers stepped forward to help, only to be stopped right away by the wolf, Shinobi. The wolf stared at them with its closed eyes, the two tendrils being moved by the wind that had suddenly arrived. Saria joined them, knowing full well that she would be of no help for this fight, and watched with worry as Logan charged at the ancient Endless again.

The orb on Seth's staff glowed in a brown mist as the bottom end of the staff slammed against the ground. Right upon contact, the earth in front of the Endless exploded in a massive shockwave, a flurry of rocks rising up to the air before falling back down. Logan jumped onto one of the closer rocks and jumped over the whole attack. He wasn't in the clear just yet, for the Endless soon began to fire lightning bolt after lightning bolt at him. Thinking quickly, he twisted his body around and avoided most of the lightning, but a few manage to hit him in the arm and the chest. As soon as he landed, his hand darted to the spot on his arm where he got struck.

He had to admit, the Endless had good aim. But Logan knew he had better aim. He got back up on his feet and threw out several fireballs at his foe. The Endless merely swatted them aside with his staff.

Seth raised his hand up as it began to glow blue and in response, dozens of ice spikes appeared over him. With a single motion of his hand, the spikes homed in on Logan. He hopped, rolled and moved some more, avoiding each and every spike that flew at him. Some of them came dangerously close to impaling him, but he dodged them nonetheless. A smile was on Logan's face, wondering if this was all the Endless had.

That was what he thought, until he saw a giant ball of darkness over the Endless' hand.

He cursed underneath his breath as the Judge fired the dark ball at him. With it now released, the orb rocketed towards Logan at breakneck speed, making him curse again. There was no way he could avoid something that large at that speed. Thinking quickly, he placed both swords side by side and began to imbue them with fire. When he knew that it was fully charged, he swung the swords at a perfect vertical arc and watched as a fiery wave appeared and sliced through the Endless' attack. It exploded in a dark mist, forcing Logan to shield his eyes from the dust. He opened his eyes to begin searching for his foe, only to see him right at his face. He had no time to counter as the Endless struck him in the chest with a palm strike.

The palm carried a terrifying amount of strength, even greater than Logan's. Added with a powerful gale of wind that was imbued with the hand, and it was enough to make Logan think that his entire chest might have been destroyed by that one attack. He was blown back at a ridiculous speed, stopping only when he slammed against the tree. The tree was unprepared for the sudden force and its trunk shattered. The two swords were released from his grip and landed several feet in front of him. Shaking, Logan shook the pain away and reached out to grab his weapons. His hand was only an inch away from the closest one before it was suddenly encased in ice. His head darted up to face Seth, whose hand was shrouded in the blue mist again.

-You are relying too much on the use of weapons to fight, and as such you are restraining yourself both physically and mentally.- He said very calmly, despite being in the middle of a fight. -For the time being, let us see how fare without them.-

The Vanguard gritted his teeth. So you want me to play rough, huh? Fine then! He thought as his hands began to shroud themselves in fiery mists before lunging at Seth. He closed the distance between them immediately and started to whale on him, launching punch after punch at the Endless, intent on bringing it down. Every now and then, he would add in a kick or two in an attempt to confuse the Endless or stun it long enough to finish it off for good.

It didn't go in his favour, though. The Endless brought his free hand up and blocked each attack in rapid succession. Each block was telegraphed precisely as no matter what Logan threw at the Endless, it would just bounce harmlessly off his hand. After blocking yet another twist kick, he countered. Mists of darkness surged across his arm before he teleported, confusing Logan for a moment before appearing behind him. With his guard down, Seth delivered a powerful elbow strike on Logan's back, just over the spinal cord. A flash of violet-black appeared first, then an explosion of darkness, knocking Logan back even further.

Saria could only watch in horror as Logan was helplessly thrown like a ragdoll across the clearing before landing in the lake. The fight had barely started and already her friend was getting trashed like a stuffed animal. She knew that this was a bad idea from the start. Why didn't he listen to her?

She looked over at the trainers and saw that they were also wondering the same thing, only their expressions were much worse than hers. This was more than likely the first time that they were witnessing an enemy being able to withstand against Logan. In this case though, the Endless was not only stronger, but faster and smarter as well, not to mention having millennium's worth of knowledge on magic and elements crammed in his head. This was definitely a fight Logan can't win, not even if he was fully recovered.

Logan pulled himself out of the lake, letting out a menacing growl as he did. One of his hands was wrapped around his chest while the other was trying to push himself up. He had been in worst situations before, but this was by far the worst of them all. He had not even succeeded in landing a single hit on the Endless, and so far the thing had blocked everything he threw at it and unleashed every element in existence at him. He hated to admit, but Saria was right. He had no chance of winning this fight if he kept this up.

Through his blurry vision, he could see the Endless standing right in front of him and hearing it tsk out loud. -I had expected much from you, Logan. I had been hoping to see a Warrior who, despite being younger than the previous ones, had learned much in the short span of time that he earned the title. So far, I am disappointed in what I have seen.- He began to pace around, mulling out the thoughts that were in his mind. -You are allowing your temper to control you and your actions, making you think irrationally and with no hesitation. As a result of your temper, you are fighting and behaving like a wild animal, constantly trying to bring down your opponent with swift, yet savage attacks. You are even refusing to use some of your strongest powers, most of them being your control over darkness, against me. That power is your true strength lies, and will help you recover from your injuries much faster when alongside the light.

-Furthermore,- He stopped pacing and pointed the staff downward at him, -Your heart is dangerously close to succumbing to the darkness that lies within you. You have allowed anger and sorrow to fill what is nothing but a never ending void in your heart. I have seen your progress ever since you and your friends have left your world. I have watched as you saved countless lives and helped your friends with whatever they needed. Why are you hiding that side of you with this one, where you let your anger turn you into a ruthless and merciless Warrior towards your enemies?-

Logan growled threateningly at the Endless. "You wouldn't understand."

-On the contrary, I do. Tell me, what is the source of your anger? What has compelled you to become the Vanguard that you are now? Is it because you fear that using the darkness will eventually turn you into the very creatures you fight against? Is it because of your concern for your friends that you try to protect them from the forces of darkness and the other evils that exist?-

"Shut up..." Logan mumbled out quietly. He knew where this was going and if the Endless was smart, it would stop right away.

Unfortunately for him, the Endless did not stop there, -Perhaps it is because of the fate that Leira Myers was about to face at the hands of Ark that had driven your anger to the edge, and what he had done to her parents and her village?-

What Seth was doing did not escape Red's notice. He turned around to face Saria and said, "What's he doing? It's like he's trying to make Logan crack or something?"

"He is," She said sadly, "And it is working."

The claws on Logan's right hand dug themselves into the ground, trying desperately to hold back the fury that was coming. "Shut up." He repeated, his voice cracking. He could feel his chest aching in pain as his anger started to take over. For a second, he thought he heard Nexus laughing in the background.

Seth placed a hand underneath his chin as he noticed the sudden change within Logan. -No… perhaps it is none of those reasons. Such anger and malice could have only been created by an experience that was too traumatic for someone to bear.- The wind had suddenly died and the air grew colder than it was before. The entirety of the forest became silent, as though it was holding its breath for what was about to happen. -Perhaps… the true source of your anger… was because of what happened to Lucy Stone.-

Logan's left eye shifted to a solid blood red as he threw himself at the Endless, screaming out in fury. "SHUT UP!"

The Endless was caught off guard by Logan's burst of speed and was punched squared in the face. He could feel the iron touch of the metallic knuckles digging into his face and was flown back. His feet skidded along the grass until they came to a halt. The pain subsided shortly as it appeared and he looked back at the Vanguard. He could see the symbols around his body glowing crimson, and his posture was more bestial and erratic.

-So that is it then.- Seth stated with such seriousness in his voice, -It is because of that event that had happened in the past, that one event that had changed your live forever. The loss of Lucy was what kindled the flames of hatred within you towards the evil that has plagued all of life!-

"Don't say her name, you wretched demon!" Logan cried out, the fiery malice ever present in his voice, "You have no right to say her name! It was the Endless who took her away from me, and it will be the Endless who will suffer by my hand!"

The Endless shook his head and continued, -You must come to accept that what had transpired years ago was beyond your control. You were merely a child. You had no idea what to do, nor did you ever have the chance to ever defeat a Hunter. You cannot put yourself to blame for something that Lucy had decided for herself.-

"Stop saying her name! You're saying it as though she wanted to die!"

-It is YOU who wants to die, Logan, not her!- He shouted back at him. The others on the side jumped in shock in response to the ancient Endless' shout. He sounded even more terrifying when angered. -Ever since her death, you have let the darkness take control of everything you have done, of everything that you have thought! You have wanted nothing more than to take your own life to escape from the pain that you were feeling, and from the lies and misconception that your inner demon spouting on to you! You have even come close to doing so… but something stopped you from finishing it. What was it, Logan? What was it that made you stop and continue living out your life?-

A surge of energy burst around Logan and exploded the ground beneath him as he charged at Seth. "ENOUGH!" He shot forth like a rocket and had his arms reared back, claws fully engulfed in a raging inferno.

He came within breathing distance of Seth, ready to sink his fingers into the Endless' flesh, before a large hand shot forth and grabbed him around the head. In the seconds that he was restrained by the iron grip, darkness began to spread from the arm onto Logan's face. He cried out in agony as the Endless released him, letting Logan writhe around as he could feel the darkness seeping into his mind. Mists escaped between his fingers, making it look as though his face was being melted. The pain was unbearable to him. It felt like it was killing him in the most agonizing way possible, but in reality he knew that that wasn't what it was doing.

Saria saw it happened and paniced, "Logan!" She turned to Seth and glared at him, her anger towards him very clear in her eyes, "What did you do to him?!"

-I have done nothing wrong.- The Endless answered truthfully, -All I did was open up the part of Logan's memory that he has desperately tried to hide from the world for many years. The memory will be transmitted as an illusion around us, letting all those who are present witness the event that had gave rise to his temper and hatred towards darkness.-

She quickly caught on to what he was saying and gasped out loud, "You mean… You are making him relive…" Her entire face paled as she shook her head wildly at him, "No! You must not let Logan go through that again! Anything but that!"

-He has forced my hand to do so. He must face it sooner or later. Otherwise, the memory and all the pain and agony he has felt will eventually be too much for him, and then… You know what will happen if it continues.-

An ear-splitting scream came out of Logan's mouth and within moments, a large, spherical dome made of light appeared all around them. The world began to twist and change as the Vanguard dropped to one knee, the pain suddenly growing worse. The sky shifted to a cloudy grey sky and a gale of wind began to stir around them, almost blowing Yellow's hat off had she not reacted in time to keep it firmly in place. The grass beneath them shifted and moved, creating a lone hill that had a large oak tree on top of it. Neighbouring houses, roads and streets appeared around the spot of land as more trees took their place beside them. A grinding metallic sound stood above all other noise as a structure of pipes, slides and ladders came to life in a sea of pebbles. Everyone watched in dismay as the Viridian Forest transformed into a place extracted from Logan's memory.

The moment the pain had subsided was the moment that Logan dared himself to look up at what happened. The familiarity of the place struck him hard as more and more memories began to appear in his head.

This was his neighbourhood. This was his home.

A hand reached up to his head as he could a twinge of pain appearing. No… This couldn't be his home. Earth was gone… consumed by darkness. If it was Earth, it would have been devastated and twisted into a shadow of its former self. But the houses, the trees, even the play structure; they were all here, all in perfect detail. It was like nothing had ever happened.

Voices could be heard from close by, prompting everyone to look over and see who it was. Nearing the play structure were four kids, two male and two female, all of them at a different age based on their appearance. Yellow easily identified the girl known as Lucy, for she had the same long black hair as the girl from her dream, but now she wore a white sundress and headband. The other kids were a complete mystery to her; one who was more likely the oldest and spouting out insults to the younger boy, while a younger was laughing at the sight of the two boys yelling at each other.

Yellow's eyes widen when she saw the younger boy. That boy… It couldn't be… "Red, do those kids look familiar to you?" She asked him.

He pondered for a moment as he looked at each one. A spark of recognition appeared in his mind and he proclaimed out loud, "They do! Those are the same kids from the photo that Logan showed us!" His eyes moved from Yellow back to the group of kids, and much like her; noticed the younger boy. "Which means that that kid over there is–"

"Logan." Saria finished for him, half in shock and half surprised. She couldn't believe it. They were seeing a part of Logan's past; the root of his rage.

They watched in silence as the group of kids began making their way over to the play structure. The older boy and younger girl climbed up the structure and proceeded to go down the slide, while the younger boy began to swing from the monkey bars and the older girl watched him go. Both trainers had smiles on their faces, seeing nothing wrong about this memory at all. But Saria knew better than anyone, and she had a feeling that Seth did as well. It started out like this when she looked into his mind, but eventually the truth will reveal itself and they will see why he never wanted anyone to know of this.

At that moment, when she saw Logan clutching onto his head and the memory suddenly shifting to a different scene, she knew that it was starting.

The sky darkened enough to make it look as though night had rolled in, even though it was late afternoon, and the wind was now dangerously fast. The kids stopped playing and looked up at the sky, wondering what was going on. A fork of lightning stretched across the sky, followed up by the booming drums of thunder, scaring the younger kids easily. They started to climb down from the structure, focusing on getting home before the sudden storm grew worse. From the side, Yellow held her straw hat in place to keep the wind from blowing it off, as did Red. Saria had her arms over her head to keep the rain from hitting her face, but Seth and Shinobi merely stood there, watching the event beginning to unfold.

Logan looked up and saw the storm clouds growing worse. His eyes widened in fear as his gaze immediately fell onto the older girl. "No…" He said quietly, the fear very clear in his tone. He began to shake his head and started off in a sprint towards them, screaming out a constant 'No' as he did.

Yellow began to wonder what it was that got Logan so worked up before she heard it. A demonic roar that pierced the rolling thunderous cries of the storm and whispered with malice inside her mind. That sound… She heard it before… during one of her nightmares where she was being chased by a…

She immediately looked up at the play structure to where the source of the sound came from. She froze in her place. There it was. The very same monster that had appeared in her nightmare. Its massive, blood drenched claws curled alongside the edge of the structure, gazing at the group of kids with its beady red eyes. Its skin camouflaged it perfectly in the storm, making them see nothing but the eyes once they saw it. The long tail thrashed around behind it, and before anyone knew it, the monster roared and hopped off the structure, landing perfectly. It slowly rose up to its full height and looked down at them, its thirst for blood rising as more drool oozed between its knife teeth. When another lightning flashed, the creature's entire appearance could be seen in that one moment.

Saria's eyes widen in shock upon seeing its full appearance. "The Hunter…" The word seemed to be enough to clench most of their hearts with fear, and for a good reason.

The Hunter roared out as it began to charge at the kids, claws fully extended. Logan was almost on it before he stopped suddenly and clutched onto his head again. The headache had returned, only it came back in full force. Writing in agony, Logan could do nothing but watch as the kids scrambled away from the Hunter. It was like he was being held back by invisible chains. He could see that the memory now began to skip ahead a few times. Every time it skipped, he could hear a distortion of static, and could see things that weren't supposed to be there, like the gnarled crosses and the blood red moon.

By now the memory became worse for what was happening and all everyone could do was watch in sheer horror. The younger Logan was on his back, breathing heavily as he had one arm wrapped around his chest to stop the bleeding from the three large gashes that were there, and the other hand facing where the Endless once was. Saria recognized the attack as a Shock Force, a powerful attack that created a shockwave in front of the user and pushing everything in its path away from him. The other kids were either on the ground, unconscious from the beast using its tail, or had simply run off. The sounds of churning metal occurred through the storm and the Hunter burst out of its so-called prison. A flash of fury appeared in its eyes as it began to sharpen its claws against one another. It was preparing to kill Logan now that he had no chance of running.

Young Logan crawled back as the creature took a few steps towards him, savouring the sight of watching its prey fearing it. It raised its right hand up, rubbing the claws against one another before it opened its hand completely. The claws grew even longer, matching half the size of its entire arm. It crouched down, focusing all muscles on its legs as it focused all attention on the child. It's flicked hungrily outside its red maw, and in seconds the Endless pounced.

Time began to slow down to everyone as they watched the creature edging closer and closer to the younger Logan, its demonic roar reaching to the very depths of their minds. Yellow at this point was right against Red and had her hands covering her mouth, before closing her eyes tightly. Saria felt a sense of dread creeping up her throat at the sight of seeing this event unfold once more. Instinctively, her hands had went up to her ears to muffle out the horrible screams coming from the Endless.

Logan, on the other hand, knew better than anyone what was about to happen. He looked over at where Lucy was and saw her small body slowly rising up before she ran over to his younger self. He could hear nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat, beating slower and more heavily with each second that felt almost like an eternity. Soon, his own rage took over and in one quick motion, he broke free of whatever was holding him back and ran to the Endless. He was not going to let this happen again. He was not going to lose her again. The darkness within his heart expanded greatly as his body began to glow crimson. A blood-curdling scream escaped his lips in contrast to the Endless' more demonic roar.

He finally got to his younger self and Lucy in time and stood between her and the Endless just as the monster itself plunged its hand forward. The claws were now right in front of Logan as fire began to billow between his teeth. He had been waiting for this moment his whole life, to finally slay the very Endless that destroyed his whole life and took one of the few people he cared about. He closed his eyes tight as he waited for the claws to impale him through the chest.

Red instinctively buried Yellow's face within his arms and shut his eyes tightly, not wanting either of them to see this.

The sound of flesh being impaled towered over the pitter-patter sound of rain and booming thunder, the screams of a child following soon after. Saria's breath hitched as she felt her heart come to a stop.

Logan remained motionless where he was, confused and frightened. He definitely heard the sound of flesh being torn, but strangely enough he didn't feel a thing. He opened his eyes slightly to see why this was the case and saw the Hunter breathing heavily right in front of his face. The sight of a face so terrifying and up close to his would have convinced Logan to just kill it, but he needed to see what was going on. His eyes lowered to where the Endless' arm was, followed its length until he was now looking down at himself. By then, fear immediately took over.

The arm had not impaled him in any way. It was simply going right through him, as though he was never there. It wasn't until he remembered a child screaming and knew who that belonged to. He slowly turned around, though he wished he hadn't, because as soon as he saw the rest of the Endless' arm, both his heart and brain completely froze all function.

His younger self was on the ground, tears streaming down his face, and in front of him was Lucy. His older sister, the girl who had looked after him since their mother died…

With all five of the Hunter's claws pierced through her chest.

His eyes began to shake as he uttered out a single, quiet no. He could see Lucy raising her head up, looking up at him almost as though he was there, and said something that would forever haunt him.

"Why… didn't you… help… me?"

A few tears began to fall along the sides of his face as he could hear nothing but his heart once more. "…no…" He quietly muttered. Behind him, he could still hear the Hunter breathing against him before it made another sound. It was long and constant, like someone was laughing. Then it hit him. The Endless was laughing at him.

Laughing at him.

Laughing at him.

The thought made his anger surge beyond measures and he whirled around, screaming at the Endless. "NNNOOOO!"

In an instant, everything in front of Logan exploded in black fire. At the same time as he did, the illusionary world around him shattered and faded into the blackened realm that he was all too familiar with. Memories began to pour in as his anger became too much for him to handle and he slumped down to his knees. Voices and images of every moment in his life appeared all around him and the others. Some of the voices Yellow recalled hearing a few days ago, but at the time she never took them into consideration since they didn't make any sense to her. Now, after learning the truth, they were starting to become clear:

The boy is unable to tell the difference between what is real and what is illusion…

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of…

He hasn't been himself since the incident…

…continually blames himself for it and has locked himself with all his grieving…

…anger is growing worse by the day…

I don't need anyone's sympathy.

He has come to call the being as 'Nexus'…

I don't need anyone's help!

Logan, why won't you let us help you! We're you're friends!

Friends!

I just… want to be left alone…

The heart is nothing but food and to be experimented on. And sometimes, to be crushed by those who are superior.

Want to be… alone…

Alone…

Alone…

Everyone darted their heads around as they gazed up at the memories and continued to listen to the voices some more. Whenever they thought that one was finished, two more would suddenly appear in its place. It wasn't until they heard one voice that dominated all the others, and the familiarity behind it brought a shiver along Yellow's spine.

Don't worry… I'm always here for you… What are 'friends' for? Hahahahaha!

If the pain is too much for you to handle, then why not simply kill yourself? That way, you'll be free from the nightmares, from the pain… from me.

So she is the reason why you choose to live… I should have known…

Your mother died before you even had the chance to know her… You're older sister died to save your pitiful life from that monster years ago… The girl of your dreams says goodbye to you and leaves you all alone once again… How many more people must leave your life for you to finally understand that it no longer matters whether you live or not? Why continue to suffer when you can simply do what I had told you and escape from it all? End your pain and suffering and be free from it all!

End it!

END IT!

Logan threw his head back and screamed out before slamming both fists onto the ground. The sudden action stopped the flow of memories and reverted the world around them back to the Viridian Forest. The startled cries of Pokémon could be heard in the distance until they eventually died down. The only sound that they could hear was the sound of crying coming from the Vanguard, whose face was buried behind his arms. His rage had disappeared since the mass of memories, leaving nothing but a broken and traumatized person in their place.

Seth had seen enough and walked up to Logan, bending down to one knee to inspect the Warrior. He sighed heavily and guided his hand to the top of Logan's head. -Warrior… You must have been aware of what would happen if you had stored all your negative emotions inside of you. Why would you continue to hold onto these feelings?-

He didn't raise his head, but he could still be heard clearly to the Endless, "Because it's all I have… of remembering her… It's my fault that she's dead… It should have been me… not her… Not Lucy…"

-What was so special about her that could ever make you think that?-

"She wasn't just my sister… She was like a mother to me… She raised me by herself and taught me everything… We became even closer than siblings… We became best friends… She was all three of those things… a sister, a mother, a friend…"

-So you weep because you not only lost the person who was a beloved sister to you, you had lost the same one who was a close friend to and a protective mother.- The Endless tilted his head in sadness and patted Logan on the head, -I had never intended to make you feel such pain, Logan. All I wanted to do was to help you become stronger. Instead, I have made it worse. And for that, I am sorry.-

He didn't hear Logan responding to him. All he heard from him was more tears. The Endless rose up to his feet and turned to walk back towards the group, who had all come closer to Logan to see if he was alright. Seth motioned for Saria to speak to him alone while the two trainers watched the Vanguard grieve even more. Despair and sorrow clung to their hearts, and within moments, Yellow began to shed a few tears at the horrible sight.

"Logan…" She said quietly as more tears began to fall.

Unbeknownst to her, the wind slowly started to pick up speed until it began to ruffle the top of the trees. She opened her eyes and looked up to see a flock of Spearows and Fearows flying overhead, and the cries from other Pokémon in the distance becoming more agitated. When she and Red became fully aware at the sudden changes, they both looked over at Logan.

The wind that was surrounding Logan was moving faster and faster until it formed a miniature tornado around him. It had also began to turn black and loose, resembling dark mists. Red and orange fire glowed jet-black as it began to appear underneath Logan's feet, and soon appeared as fiery explosions around him. Shinobi called out to its master as things started to get worse. Saria gasped out loud when she and Seth saw what was happening to Logan. A shimmering sound appeared once more and the same barrier of light appeared around them, only this time it began to darken, and the only image that they saw was a disembodied, fiendish head that cackled with twisted laughter, followed up by the distorted sound of static.

The moment Logan's conscious was slowly returning to him was the moment when he realized what was happening to him and clutched onto the sides of his head.

And then… he screamed.

(A/N: The next chapter is without a doubt my favourite one, and you will soon see why. For now, I hope you have enjoyed reading this chapter and I will see you in the next one.

Reviews and critiques are always welcome.)