AN: Okay, last chapter... I said there wouldn't be any action, but I changed my mind. Like I said, I put a twist on Zakum, so he's no longer the six-armed rock that smashes everything.

Judgement Flame: Thanks alot! Well, when I first think about it, I don't think many people died. But then, I think about it more, then I realize that, yeah, alot of main characters died... And more will be kicking buckets soon...

Cookie: Woah... You were on a trip? I thought you had deserted me... Sniff Only joshin' ya! Man, I love saying that... I know people have lives outside of MapleStory and I reeeally have to get me one of those... Social life... Hmm.. Newfangled teens and their newfangled terms...


Aradia writhed in her mind, shrieking with agony as she tried to exert control over the memories she had fought so hard to suppress over the years. As her pain worsened, a stirring in her mind strengthened. A pressure that was always there, always on the edge of her conciousness, always a slight irritation that nothing could lessen, grew to such forces that she felt her mind quake in fear and pain. Yes! Finally! I shall return to the world... I shall regain my reign of terror...

NO!

YES!

Aradia shivered again. Letting loose a piercing shriek, she felt energy leaving her body; the once almost limitless supply of strength was gone. She felt as though she were only a dry husk of the once powerful mage. Turning her blank stare upwards, her eyes fell upon a young girl. Her hair twisted around her head, almost forming a sadistic halo. Fighting down her fear, Aradia stood to face the one enemy she never defeated...

Herself.

XxX

Ryker tightened his grip on his dagger as he whipped through the air, slashing at any piece of flesh he could find. The huge beast made of shadows loomed before him; an ominous representation of everything he feared. Roaring an insane battle cry, Ryker leaped into the very heart of the darkness that surrounded him, still cutting with all his might.

The omnipotent monster laughed harshly. "You won't be able to defeat me that way Ryker..."

"Shut the hell up!"

Ryker continued his mad onslaught; driven by rage, he no longer had any thought besides the destruction of the monster that had held him back for so many years. His anger heightened as the beast kept laughing. "I said... SHUT THE HELL UP!"

With a inhuman leap, Ryker was airborn, flying straight towards his opponents face. Ryker's eyes took on a beastlike quality as his anger manifested itself in anyway possible. His energy was reshaping his body; soon he had claws upon his hands and his teeth were sharpened to points. The monster paused as it looked upon Ryker's ferocity. The man was still soaring upwards to reach the impossibly high height of the monster. "I'll kill you!"

XxX

Alex watched as Akuji wove in and out of sight, leaving a path of a small trickle of blood. "Akuji... You cannot harm me."

Akuji paused for a moment, thrown off by Alex's statement. "What...?"

"I cannot even safely call you Akuji. You are a manifestation of my hatred for my brother."

"Stop talking and fight!"

"But that's what you want me to do, isn't it?"

"Well, I would assume so... I mean, I just told you to fight me..."

"You want me to fight, because the longer I fight, the deeper I delve into the recesses of Zakum... Correct?"

"You are talking nonsense! Let us continue!"

"No... Am I right in assuming Zakum doesn't exist?"

"Shut up!"

"You are an afteraffect of the insence used to 'summon' Zakum, correct...?"

"Damn you! Shut the hell up!"

"Then I am right in assuming that I am in fact unconcious and delirious?"

"SHUT UP!"

Alex raised his axe. "That's exactly what I won't do... You should know that. I would hope my own brother would know that..."

"No!"

Alex swung his axe hard at the ground. Akuji howled with rage again. As Alex watched, the image of his brother became twisted and distorted. "Good-bye, Akuji."

Alex awoke.

XxX

Aradia shuddered as she looked upon the visage of the raw energy that plagued her body. "Aradia... Move out of the way."

"No..."

"Move if you do not wish to die..."

"You will not escape my mind..."

"Move Aradia!"

"No!"

"Then I will exterminate you..."

XxX

"Die!" Ryker snarled as his dagger wove a web of biting steel through the shadowy flesh of his enemy.

"Yes, Ryker... Hate me... Curse me... Harness your hatred to me... Let it consume you..."

"Shut up!" Ryker renewed his assault.

"Yes... Yes..."

"Just die!"

Stop Ryker...

"What...?"

The monster is using you... Take control of your emotions! Zakum is just--

"Pay no attention to it, Ryker! That is Zakum! He weaves a web of lies..."

Ryker!

"Ryker!"

Believe me Ryker... It's all an illusion...

"Ryker! Do not believe it!"

Ryker...

"Shut up! Dammit... Dammit! Leave me the hell alone!"

XxX

Aradia was rooted to the spot, her mind writhing in fear. Her counter-part loomed over her; magic forming in her hand, words a breath upon her lips.

"Stay still Aradia... Your fear will be gone soon..."

"No..." She moaned, trying desperately to move.

"You will see Aimee soon... So soon..."

Memories hit Aradia like a tsunami. The name sent her reeling in the past.

An old woman shook slightly in her age, smiling down upon a young girl. Aradia realizes that the younger girl is herself. She's looking upon her memories, as if she were just a passing witness. 'Aimee... Why do you stay by me?'

The elderly woman's expression softened. 'Because you have no one...'

'You shouldn't stay with me... You should run... Like everyone else...'

'No, no... I could never do that...'

'Why?'

'Because... You are our future... You have the greatest potential of all... What you just said proves it. You are compassionate; you care about others, placing their well-being above your own...'

'Like I'll ever get to use those skills... Everyone hates me...'

'No... I don't hate you...'

The scene changed.

'Aimee! Run! I... Can't control it!'

'Aradia... I will always be by your side...'

'No!'

'Aradia... Control your powers... I know you can...'

'AIMEE!'

Aradia shivered from a nonexistent breeze. Her counter-part still loomed above her, smirking slightly. "Lost in the past, are we? Well, atleast you can dwell there after you lose your place in the present and future... I give you one more chance... Move!"

Aradia suddenly snarled vehemently. "I will not be controlled by you!"

"Then die!" The attack fell upon empty air. "Ah... Decided to move at the last minute I see..."

"You are an abomination of my past! Return to where you belong... In my memories!"

She struck her counter-part as it howled in anger.

Aradia awoke.

XxX

Ryker clenched his Varkit hesitantly. "Who do I believe?"

"Ryker... People will accept you if you defeat me... They will finally look upon you with pride..."

Ryker!

Ryker glanced up. "I don't care what people think! They can go screw themselves for all I care!"

He threw his Varkit at the monster, then shuddered, and fell to the ground.

XxX

Druce gently raised Ryker onto his shoulders. "Ah... You all passed. Nothing less than I expected."

Ryker looked blearily up at Rene, who was surrounded by Aradia and Alex, both of which wore grins that matched the triumphant feeling rising in their bodies. "So when do we get this holy force?"

Rene sighed. "You don't..."

"What? We passed the tests though!" Aradia called angrily.

"Yes... But... There is no holy force..."

Ryker and Aradia looked shocked, though Alex wore an oddly smug look. "Just as I thought."

Druce raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes. When they said only one person had passed the tests, I figured it would be the one person who seemed to know so much about it... Druce."

Druce nodded slightly.

"But if Druce had recieved the power, then he should be able to defeat Kronos. But he led us to El Nath, and played the charade the guardians have been playing for hundreds of years."

Ryker suddenly stood to his full height. "You knew, and you didn't tell us?"

"Aye..." Druce seemed to shrivel.

"You led us on a wild goose chase across Ossyria! You preached about action, but you just made us waste time!"

"I had to prove that sometimes, action isn't the best choice. It can be rash sometimes..."

"You took us to Ossyria, while Victoria Island is being ravaged by a demon!"

"Yes..."

Ryker lunged at Druce and pulled him by the collar into the wall. "Bastard! You were working for Kronos the whole time weren't you?"

"No... I had to teach you a lesson..."

Ryker dropped the old man in disgust. "Damn you! Alex, Aradia... Let's go home."

XxX

The ship docked quickly and quietly. Leaping from the helm, Ryker landed gracefully on the harbor dock. He surveyed the devastation with dismay. "Dammit!"

Aradia crept up beside him. "My god... What have we done?"

Alex looked on in silence as Aradia began weeping openly. Through clenched teeth, the warrior spoke. "We have to find the other survivors. I doubt Kronos has destroyed Maple Island... We can rebuild there..."

Ryker punched the ground angrily. "No! Dammit! I'm not leaving Victoria Island! It's my fault this happened... It's going to be me who rebuilds it..."

Ryker strode off, away from his friends, towards isolation and self-hatred.

The desolation of Victoria was complete.


AN: Alright! LOST IS FINISHED! Woooooh! Sweeeeeet! Sequel comin' soon! Errrmm... Peace out... 'Til next we meet! Oh, the story won't be out until I get back from a trip, so that's probably about a week. Laters! Oh, feel free to review. I'm thinkin' the sequel might be called like Demon's Wake or somethin'... Feel free to submit ideas for titles...