AN: Takes a deep breath Okay. After what I call a less than successful chapter, I have written another. It has been written slowly, so I don't rush it. Here we go... Disclaimer: I do not own Maple Story. Nuff said. Nuff said. Revision: Yos my homies. I'm bored so I'm gonna start chapter 4... Read and Review please!
As Akuji stared up at the meteor, time seemed to freeze. Ryker's frantic screams faded from his ears, the only noise he heard was the drumbeat of his heart. Surprisingly, it was not thumping away to the tune of a fast beat. It was merely plodding along to a sad waltz. Then, as he stood, frozen by the sight of thousands of tons descending upon him, a voice sounded in his head. You have no chance... Accept your fate... You have failed... The voice said.
Another voice sounded in the back of his head. Why? I mean, why should I just sit back and watch myself die? And, what have I failed at? I mean, seriously, was I even really supposed to be doing anything? A quest? And who are you?
I am no one. You have failed at the attempt to defeat Kronos... Ruler of the Balrogs and soon to be Destroyer of Human Race!
Hmm...
When did I try to beat this Kronos? And just who is Kronos? I've never
even heard of him before. If he was so all-powerful, you'd think they'd
at least tell me about him.
Fool... You swore to kill him, or die trying!
Whatever... I don't remember that...
No matter... you are to die now anyway... your fate has come... you have failed!
What have I failed at anyway? I didn't want that stupid quest that Druce guy and that weird old lady told me about! I don't want to be a hero! I just want my memories!
Yes, but if you had your memories, would you sit back and let destiny play out? Or would you join the forces at work here?
What do you mean? Can... can you give me my memories back?
I might be able to...
Then please! Do it!
Alright, but you may hate me for it...
Akuji's mind flooded with images. A single memory became prominent, then all Akuji could see in his minds eye was the memory. A beast loomed in front of him. Akuji immediately identified it as a Crimson Balrog. A corpse lay on the ground near the balrog, its ragged and bloody body in a fatalistic pose. Its empty eyes stared out into the distance, then they seemed to swivel until they gazed deep into Akuji's eyes. A void opened in the dead girl's eyes, a void showing the whirlpool that was the afterlife, a teeming mass of death and grief, a sanctuary for those who died before their time. The girl was familiar, she stirred something in him. Recognition flashed through his mind...
No!
Akuji snapped out of his trance. He swiftly ran towards Ryker who was quickly foraging through the trees ahead. "RYKER! WAIT UP!" Akuji bellowed as he sped towards him. Akuji glanced backwards and saw how close the meteor was to reaching the ground.
Ryker turned to glance back at Akuji. He paled with horror, and he stopped at his desperate attempts to break through the underbrush. "Akuji! Behind you!" He screamed in panic.
Akuji glanced backwards for a split-second, and was face to face with a balrog. It came hurtling out of the air, diving towards Akuji. "What the--" Akuji was grabbed around the waist. The Jr.Balrog had caught up with him and was carrying him back to the site of the impending meteor crash. "Let me go! It's... gonna... hit... us!" Akuji pleaded as he struggled to get free of the balrog's iron grip.
The balrog laughed. "Exactly."
Akuji gaped at it. Horror and bewilderment was evident on his face. "What? But... it'll hit you too!"
"Yes... but my death will simply be another reason to destroy you humans! And you are the only one who can destroy us... I will be hailed as a hero beyond all others for your death!"
Akuji suddenly realized he was talking to a balrog. "Wait... how can I understand you?" His deep blue eyes looked straight into the balrogs yellow ones.
The balrog sneered, its grimy yellow fangs dripped with saliva. "Because... you have been Marked!" The balrog started to laugh a wild, insane cry, just as the meteor hit. Dust was shot up into the air, where it billowed in huge clouds. Ryker was buffeted backwards. The explosion boomed throughout the jungle. In Lith Harbor, vibrations shook houses, and people ran for cover. In Henesys, houses broke apart and mothers ushered their children into shelters. In Kerning City, the towering buildings shook and the residents of the Thieves Guilds quietly looked out from their respective alcoves in the city, then returned to buisness. In Perion, huge boulders plummeted down onto the streets below. Trees collapsed and leaves floated to the ground in Ellinia.
Ryker huddled down in a pile of bushes, his hair billowing back behind him. Shockwaves shook the ground with such a wild intensity that the earth split. Ryker tentatively stood up, then fell back to his feet as the world bucked under his feet. The balrogs roared triumphantly. Ryker stood again and managed to regain his balance. He carefully walked towards the balrogs. "HEY! UGLIES! OVER HERE!" He bellowed. He tossed an Ilbi at each of the balrogs . They roared with anger and glared down at Ryker. "YEAH YOU! I'M TALKIN' TO YOU! THAT'S RIGHT! LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Ryker called.
The balrogs roared again, grunted in their language, then shot towards Ryker. He turned, stumbled, then hurtled off into the distance. The balrogs kept up the pace. Ryker jumped up onto a platform and ran on. One of the balrogs caught up, and it swung its huge gorilla-like at Ryker. He leaped up into the air and landed on the hand. Ryker pulled a dagger from his sleeve. He jumped onto the balrog's head plunged it into the beast's neck. It roared then rolled in mid-air. With a grunt of exertion, he stabbed the balrog again and again. The balrog gave another cry, and plummeted through the air. Ryker leaped off of it and landed with a small flip on the ground. He started to run again, this time back towards where the meteor had hit. The earthquakes had let off, though dust was still in the air.
He reached the crash site and peered around, trying to see through the dust and debris. He stepped forward and pitched head-first into a huge crater. He rolled all the way to the bottom. As the dust slowly cleared, he started to discern a figure standing in the center of the crater. The balrogs reached him and they hovered close to the ground. The figure stirred and took a step toward Ryker. The person groaned. "R-r-Ryker?" It was Akuji.
Ryker stumbled backwards with surprise and the balrogs hissed in anger. "Both Ethranrl and Stikl dead for nothing! We must destroy these two before they get out of hand." Ryker heard this as a hiss but Akuji understood.
His body flared with a dark energy. "No... you shall not harm either me or the assassin!" Ryker flushed with indignation at being called 'the assassin.'
"I have a name you know!" He shouted.
Akuji roared. "NOW YOU WILL DIE!" He shot forward. Ryker was appalled at the change that had overcome Akuji. His eyes were burning with a dark and evil fire. Akuji shot forward, bow at the ready. Two arrows shot forth from the bow in quick succession. They were on fire. They both embedded themselves in the body of one of the balrogs. The beast grunted, then put a hairy claw up to its chest. It returned soaked with crimson blood. It choked something out, then the arrows started to glow. The monster's eyes darted up in realization. The arrows exploded, leaving nothing in their stead. Akuji turned.
"NO!" The last balrog roared. It roared, then flew at Akuji. It struck him on the face, forcing him to the ground. Akuji coughed up blood, but stood and laughed.
"Pathetic..." Akuji muttered. He lurched forward. The balrog shot forward again, claws out stretched. As the balrog neared him, Akuji's hand shot out and gripped onto the balrog's hand. He swung him in a circle, then slammed him into the ground. Crimson blood oozed from the balrog's face. It groaned softly. Akuji threw it up into the air and shot three arrows at it. They all struck home, in the balrog's head. It's eyes grew distant and was dead before it had hit the ground. Akuji staggered, the raw power that had been present earlier was gone, he fell, and stayed there, face-up on the ground.
A small trickle of blood oozed from Akuji's mouth. Ryker ran forward, and as he drew closer, Akuji's eyes closed, and he fell into the deep, healing sleep of unconciousness. As Ryker kneeled next Akuji to check for a pulse, the Mark of the Balrog gleamed ever darker.
AN: Alright! I definitely think this one is better than the last one. Yeah, anyway, please review. I mean, I like live for reviews. (Thinks of a zombie who stumbles around moaning for reviews) Okay, maybe not "live" for exactly... But I do like to hear your opinions. I enjoy it! Yeah! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Hmm.. sorry. Got carried away. Review please! Revision: Okays... Ummm, added a bit of conversation in Akuji's mind and a few sentences here and there, so... Review!
