Helllloooooooooo! I'm in a really good mood because I finally got this bad boy up! It's been eating away at my insides for WEEKS and FINALLY I got it posted! Pat on the back Yeah, this is it folks, the last chapter. I'm thinking about doing a well written (smutty) epilogue, since there hasn't been much in this story. Stay tuned. As always, thanks OODLES to my reviewers, much love! Keep it up! Without further ado...

Disclaimer: If you haven't figured it out by now, then you don't need to.


"Show me the way?" Jonas asked almost indignantly, making Sariah's eyes narrow frigidly, "The way to what Sariah? To hell, because that's what you're living. This is hell and you and Tobias are the fucking devil!" He yelled at her. He wanted to shake her, scream at her, snap her back to the way she was before she'd left. Had he not a healthy fear of the thing she'd become, he would have.

'Puss,' he scolded himself.

"No, Jonas," she growled through bared clenched teeth, "The way to numb. That's why I chose this, because I'm numb. That's why we feed on the pain of others, because we cannot feel it ourselves."

Everything became surreal for Jonas thenand for about .2 seconds he actually considered Sariah's offer. He would be free from the past that tormented him, embraced by the woman he'd pined over for years. He felt light headed and flushed at the thought. Then his logic took over and reassured him that the woman he loved died the moment she'd made her choice to become the half-dead thing in front of him. There was no way to stop her or Tobias, no way short of killing them. He looked into her wicked cold eyes and it became clear what he must do.

It was one swift movement. She never even saw him reach, but there it was when she looked down. Riddick's mini shiv was embedded in her chest with a dark pool beginning to spread in the burgundy silk of her dress. Her eyes widened as she looked down, then back up to Jonas. Her mouth dropped and her breath hitched as the realization of what just happened hit her like a heavy freighter. Jonas caught Sariah as her knees buckled and he tenderly brought her to lie on the floor in front of him, holding her in his lap. There were tears welling in her eyes as she looked to him for an answer.

"J-Jonas, Jonas h-how could…" She barely had the breath to begin the sentence, let alone finish it. Jonas shushed her and brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. In that moment her eyes cleared and he saw the real Sariah again, the woman he'd left here. The woman he loved. He couldn't speak it but his eyes conveyed his amorous sorrow. He bent down and kissed her forehead gently before her last breath escaped her lips and her life, what little there was left of it, was gone.

Jonas' moment of satisfaction was suddenly and violently overshadowed by a tremendous rage. This was all Tobias' fault. If it weren't for him everything, the town, the people, and most importantly Sariah, would be okay, normal. Tobias was the cause, the catalyst for the end of Jonas' world. He had to pay. He had to die. Terribly, brutally.

Jonas closed Sariah's eyes and removed the shiv gently from her chest. She looked at peace now, but it was little consolation for Jonas. His fury was doubling with every passing second and it was that fury which propelled him out of the chamber and back down to the ballroom. He received many a strange look when he entered, but no one dared say a word to a man with that much resolve in his eyes. Hushed whispers and murmurs followed as he made his way to the stage and stopped the musicians joyous playing, making them back down with one simple glare when they started to protest.

"Tobias!" Jonas called over the crowd, "Tobias come face me! Fucking monster!" One by one the partygoers turned to look at him in wonder that this man would refer to their High Lord in such a fashion. "You're all being deceived by your High Lord!" There were gasps in the crowd, and finally Jonas had everyone's undivided attention. "He's a monster and he must be stopped!"

"What are you talking about Jonas?" Tobias' voice came booming from behind Jonas and he whirled around to face the other man, blood stained shiv at the ready.

"You're a monster, Tobias. You've ruined everything, even Sariah." Jonas' rage nearly blinded him, all he could see was the other man standing arrogantly in front of him. Tobias' eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face like the smile of a cruel child with matches and various small animals.

"So is that why you laid her low, Jonas? Because you never got a turn with her before she chose me?" Jonas' eyes went wide at the comment.

He heard the screams from the crowd behind him as he went for Tobias with the shiv. His anger at that moment made him act foolishly, his anger made him forget exactly what he was facing. Tobias raised one hand with fist clenched and an invisible force formed around Jonas' neck, holding him back from the other man. 'At least it's not Riddick for once,' Jonas thought morbidly. Tobias turned and addressed the crowd, dragging Jonas in tow with feet flailing and hands grasping feebly at his neck.

"Do any of you remember this man? This is Jonas Salazar, he grew up here, went to school here, had friends and family here. Then came the massacre, and what did he do? He ran away! This coward ran away and left us to rebuild. Now he has come back to destroy our Peace, and brought with him the very man the mercs were looking for on that bloody day so long ago." There were gasps and shrieks from those left in the crowd who had not run away. Tobias dropped Jonas to the stage. "What do you have to say for yourself now Jonas?" Jonas coughed and sputtered for a moment before he could answer.

"You're a bastard, Tobias!" Jonas yelled as he stood.

"The High Lord has brought us a peace that we could never have imagined before! How dare you speak to him so," came a man's voice from the crowd. Jonas turned to face them.

"But at what price? You live in fear of him! I've found the ones who disappear!" More gasps and murmurs could be heard from the people and Jonas looked to Tobias to see a look of fury cross his ever-stoic face. He held Tobias' darkened eyes, nonetheless, "There's a room beneath this place, a room of horrors beyond compare. Your loved ones are there hooked to machines that cause constant terror in the mind. Their bodies are rotting, and their minds are twisted so that HE can feed on their pain! HE-" Jonas was cut off by the return of the force around his throat, crushing off his air.

"That's enough, Jonas." Tobias growled viciously. Once again Tobias addressed the crowd, who apparently believed Jonas, since they were moving steadily toward him with all the menacing that an angry mob should have.

"You would believe this coward over me? This freak? He's a Changeling! He cannot be trusted!" The crowd stopped and everyone looked at eachother. "That's right, he's a Changeling, a freak of nature. Watch for yourselves." Tobias forced Jonas face down on the stage and walked over to stand beside him. He planted one foot on Jonas' back and grabbed his left arm with both hands, twisting and bending it until Jonas screamed. He bent it just a little further, and just when bones would have broken, Jonas softened his structure out of self-preservation instinct and made the limb bend unnaturally. The crowd screamed and a stampede ensued, leaving the two men alone in the ballroom.

"You see Jonas, they're all terrified of you. Even if you manage to kill me, they will surely kill you. They're sheep, they'll follow me to the grave if I so choose." Tobias laughed wickedly, letting down his guard just enough for Jonas to soften up the rest of the way and slip out of his grasp. The two men faced eachother, en garde. The games were over now, both of them knew it, and only one, if either, would walk out alive.

Tobias raised his hand again, and once again there was a force crushing Jonas' throat. It was tighter than before, now Tobias really was trying to kill him. Jonas grabbed at his throat, he even tried softening his neck structure for relief but there was none. Tobias moved his hand, and Jonas flew off the stage and against the opposite wall with enough force to crush the back of a normal man's skull. Jonas groaned and fell to the floor with a muffled thud, coughing violently. Before he had a chance to recover, Tobias had him again, dangling him far above the floor. He released the force, whatever it was, and Jonas fell again, breaking his legs when he tried to catch himself.

"Raaaargh!" Jonas screamed from the instant pain, but managed to get his bones at least half way knitted before Tobias got a hold of him again. Tobias pulled Jonas to him slowly, strangling the man without even laying a hand on him.

"How does it feel, Jonas? How does if feel to know that everything you love is dead? How does it feel to know that you'll soon join your mother and your precious Sariah?"

The two men locked eyes, and the arrogant smile that Tobias wore faded as he felt something sharp enter his lower abdomen to the left. He looked down to find Jonas' hand wrapped around a shiv handle that was stuck there in his gut just above his hip. The shock of it made him lose his hold on Jonas' neck for a moment, and that was all it took.

With all the strength Jonas had left, all the animosity and rage he'd been holding, he wrenched the shiv up and across Tobias' stomach, all the way to his ribs on the opposite side. The blood poured from the wound instantly, and Tobias' eyes went wide as he looked down yet again to find bits of his insides on the outside, and Jonas' blood soaked fist coming up to meet his face in a hard uppercut. Tobias flew backward, landing hard on the stage behind him, the weight and power behind the landing disemboweling him further. Jonas stood over Tobias and watched with great pleasure as the other man's eyes bugged out and he gurgled before finally drowning in his own blood. He felt as though a weight was lifted then, a great pressure had been released, and he dropped to his knees in the blood surrounding his feet. It was over.

'Now what?' he thought to himself.

'Now we go find your friends.'


Riddick had heard the yelling coming from the ballroom, but did not care. His only worry now was getting the limp and frail body he carried to safety and keeping her that way until she woke. If she woke. Somehow, Riddick had found an empty chamber and laid the fragile woman that he carried in the bed, making her as comfortable as he hoped he could. He sat himself beside the door across the room and waited, patiently watching for any sign of her consciousness. Doubts bounced around in his head like racquetballs.What if Geom was right? What if she never woke up? She had to wake up, he couldn't lose her again. Not forever, at least. Not after what he'd done to her inside her mind. He knew it hadn't really been him, but it was the principal of the matter.

The silence of the room was oppressive, the only sound being her soft breathing and his, and that didn't help to ease his thoughts any. For the first time ever, Richard Riddick actually considered praying. Praying to any God that would listen. Praying that she would wake, praying that she would be okay. He considered, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Maybe the consideration would be enough.

He heard footsteps then, and a voice calling for him from down the hall. The sound of doors opening and shutting, one at a time until the one he was crouched beside opened and Jonas stepped warily in.

"Good, I found you! It's all over, they're both dead. I-" Jonas noticed that he was being ignored and followed Riddick's gaze to the bed where he saw Kyra lying, "Is she…?"

"No, she's not dead." Riddick replied softly, still not taking his eyes off her. Jonas was silent for a moment.

"Riddick, what if she…?" He didn't want to finish the question, but it was a realistic one. Riddick looked up at the other man and for the first time ever Jonas saw fear in his eyes, completely uninhibited fear. He was absolutely terrified of losing her.

"I'm gunna go do crowd control, I'm 'relatively positive' we're not in danger anymore, will you be okay?" Jonas asked carefully.

"Are you okay?" Riddick asked, eyeing the blood all over Jonas' clothes and the marks he knew would become deep bruises later on.

"Yeah, I think I am," Jonas replied softly. Riddick nodded and Jonas left, shutting the door softly behind him.

Once again, he felt the overwhelming exhaustion that he'd felt in the 'dungeon' when he sat beside Kyra's chair. The heavy feeling of his limbs was tremendous. He stood wearily and walked to the bed where Kyra lay and crawled in beside her, pondering absently whether she would wake up happy or not with him next to her. Her face was the last thing he saw before he passed out.


Kyra slowly became aware of the feeling of warmth spreading through her limbs, and no sooner had she realized that than she also realized that Riddick's voice was gone. She'd been sitting there, huddled in a tight little ball for so long she'd totally lost track of her surroundings. Slowly she looked up. She was in a well-lit, golden toned hallway. Not just any hallway, but a very familiar one. She stood, looking around bewildered. She heard a sound like a child's laughter coming from somewhere down the hall and though she was still in awe at her sudden change in scenery she felt compelled to follow the sound, drawn to it.

She wandered slowly down the winding halls until she turned a corner and stopped in her tracks. Standing before her in a perfectly white dress with tiny golden adornments was herself as a small girl. Her bright green eyes danced with innocence and her small mouth curled up into a smile. The little girl crooked one finger, inviting Kyra down to her level. Kyra obliged and bent down, and the little girl cupped Kyra's ear as if to tell her a secret.

"He's waiting for you," the little girl whispered matter-of-factly, "Right inside that door." Kyra stood back up.

"Who?" Kyra knew it was a dumb question, but she asked it anyway. The little girl giggled and her eyes glittered.

"Him, of course. Who else would it be?" the little girl took Kyra's hand and went to lead her further down the hall, but Kyra stood her ground. The little girl looked up at her questioningly.

"He hates me." Kyra looked down at the floor.

"That wasn't real, silly. He's waiting for you, c'mon." The little girl pulled harder and managed to get Kyra to step forward. They walked to the edge of a doorway, and the girl let go of Kyra's hand and urged her to look into the door. Kyra looked in and saw nothing. There was no floor, no walls, just nothing. This was too familiar. Kyra turned back to the girl.

"Look closer," the little girl urged, so Kyra did. She looked into the room again and saw herself stuck in some contraption, hooked to all sorts of wires. Sitting beside her on the floor was Riddick. He was holding her hand and resting against her leg. He looked so sad, almost grief-stricken. Suddenly the image changed. It was still the two of them, but she was lying on a bed, and Riddick was there beside her, curled protectively around her as they slept. The vision was almost enough to make her cry. She looked back at the little girl.

"Do you see?" the little girl's eyes glinted knowingly, and it dawned on her then. There was no need for this shell she'd developed anymore. Her protective skin was only seperating them. She didn't need protecting from him; he wasn't here to hurt her, he never had been. She didn't need to be afraid. She didn't… she didn't need Kyra anymore. She looked again, but the little girl was gone. She looked back into the room and stared at the vision before her. Love. That was the only word that came to mind. Love. She loved him. It had started when she was young, when she'd admired him so, but it had evolved into something… else. Something better. She loved him, and, as it had always been, he loved her as well. But there could never be anything between them if she kept up her defenses and kept her pain at the surface. Suddenly the vision disappeared and was replaced by a huge pool of water. She heard the whispers of the little girl.

"Wash her away, you don't need her anymore, shed her."

She jumped.


Riddick jolted awake, a feeling he'd never anticipated making him bolt upright. Kyra was convulsing. Her whole body was trembling violently, tensing. She was seizing. Her body was rigidly shaking. Quickly he turned her on her side as her body moved erratically.

"Kyra, Kyra! Easy, shhh-" he tried to soothe her to no avail. Suddenly, she stopped. She went limp. 'Oh no, no no no.' He rolled her back over to her back, her head lulling; no reflexes. He propped himself up on one elbow, taking her chin in his other hand to look at her face. He picked up her eyelids and found the disturbing sight of her pupils as big around as coins. He checked her pulse; nothing.

"Kyra… K-Kyra," his voice faltered and he felt the unfamiliar sting of tears filling his eyes. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that it was gone, he knew she had a light in her. A light that could have saved him. She was gone; he'd lost her again. Forever. She was just… gone. One tear dared to slip forth, dripping quickly down and onto her shoulder. He laid his head down on her chest, hoping beyond all just to hear her heart beat once. Nothing.

Then... something. One thump, and another.

Suddenly she sucked in a sharp breath, and once again Riddick found himself bolt upright. He checked her pulse again; it was steady, rapid but steady. She sucked in breath after breath, her hands flailing a little. He grabbed one of her hands to let her know he was there, as if she didn't already.

She'd smelled him before she'd ever come too, that's what brought her back. Knowing he was there waiting for her. She opened her eyes and looked at him, touching her other hand to his face. Her breathing evened out slowly and she turned to face him.There was a joy radiating from the silver pools she was staring into that it almost stole her breath again.

"Are you with me Kyra?" Riddick asked with voice shaking a little. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She smiled wide.

"The name's Jack. Jack B. Badd."


Alrighty, there it is. The last chap. Too fast at the end? Maybe, I just kinda wanted to get it out. Like I said, I'm considering doing an epilogue to finish things off right.Thank youSOOOOO Much to everyone who's stuck with me.I hadn't the slightest idea where this was going at first, but here it is. Now, REVIEW PLEASE! See ya on the flip! ;o)