Author's Note: This is it. I've forced myself off my lazy butt to finish off this story that was going to be finished anyway. Thanks to everyone who stood by me! This story'll end with an epilogue--short, mind you--that's soon to come. Sorry if it wasn't up to your standards. Redwall's out of my inspirational room now, and soon, Silver's Tale will be finished too.

Do you notice the fact that I hadn't added my trademark, 'By: biacebaolck' to the title? Because I'm not proud of this work. It could've gone so much better, but, I've lost it. I've lost inspirations and it was horror typing this.

I'm sorry if it wasn't to your expectations, but next chapter will finish off this long story. Backlash's Story is my longest work ever, and I'm glad you've all enjoyed it, or if some, hated it. At least you have an opinion of it.

Wherever and whenever you are living, I hope my story has intruiged you in some way.

Endgame

Endgame: ěnd'gām'

Noun

One: The final stages of a chess game after most of the pieces have been removed from the board.

Two: The late or final stages of any activity.

Three: The final stage of an extended process of a course of events.

In a total black room, there stood light. Light emitted from a chessboard placed in the center of the room, the remaining pieces of a chess game playing out the end of the battle; endgame.

The remaining pieces too emitted light, almost glowing in the nocturnal blanket of darkness, the ones having been removed from play dull and without light. They had been downed in battle, a fatal cost.

The chessboard was placed on the floor, stony and cracks in the cement itself.

Where there should've been two players, was only one. He controlled the white pieces, his a far greater number than the black, which dared to rebel against him. The black was played by an unseen force, but it was not unknown. This was his own form of divination, to predict what would happen in the battle and prepare a plan and defeat.

Now, they were both down to only a few pieces left.

"The pieces are in play. Who'll win? Who'll lose?" A white furred paw paused above the chessboard, before selecting his white king and knocking out the black knight. "…that boy…" His eyes glanced at the board, and an image of the knight's face spluttered out of the defeated knight and its glow disappearing as it flew to the side of the board, removed from play. "That one was rather troubling…when he comes again, I shall be prepared…" He murmured to himself, before turning his attention back to the board.

The black queen moved by herself and put herself in a defensive move to protect the king. His lips pursed at that, but he just glanced at the position she was in, and uttered a small chuckle. Pathetic. Of course, she knew that move was pathetic, but she'd do anything to protect someone she barely knew. "Trouble…" He said aloud. "You knew that…" Using a rook, he got rid of another annoying pawn.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that she did not move, but the remaining black knight made his way bravely to affront his king. He rolled his eyes, before placing his rook in position. He'd be able to capture that knight next move. He could've just eliminated the knight from the game, but where was the fun in that? Besides… His paw tapped lightly on the table of which the board sat.

Besides…he wasn't sure what that queen was pulling. So very troubling…he'd make sure to fix that once she was his. And he didn't know how she would react to his stealing her remaining knight. Knights were generally looked over, as they could only jump, and move a certain way, the L. But even the most pathetic and useless soldiers had a use…and once underestimated, they could defeat with surprise. He would not underestimate…rather, overestimate.

The knight moved unsurely before his king. He rolled his eyes. Pathetic, ever so pathetic.

He calculated what they both had at that moment.

He was in possession of a king, two rooks, and two bishops. The black, on the other hand, had only the queen, king, knight and a pawn. He had the advantage of an extra piece, but they had an advantage of a queen.

Interesting…

"How truly intriguing…" He murmured to himself, as he used the other rook to intercept the path of the knight, and he waited for the next move. It took a long while, and he finished his murmuring. "…how truly intriguing that…they know that they are ready to lose…but they do not give up?"

Finally the move was made.

The queen left the king's side to go and eliminate his rook, freeing the knight and putting his king in check.

As he watched the rook's glow disappear and it fly to the side of the chessboard, he bit his lip. He hadn't anticipated a risky move like that. In fact, all the risks that they had made during this battle…it seemed that they were prepared to risk losing in order to defeat him.

"How truly delightful."

He played his bishop in defense of the king. Now, if she wished to eliminate him, she would have to eliminate the bishop, therefore placing her queen in danger of getting destroyed. Not a very wise choice. After all, the queen was the most powerful of all the pieces, including the king.

"Including the king…" He breathed. "With a queen…a king is invincible if tactics are played right. And she shall soon be mine."

As he said this to himself, the pawn defeated the bishop. He looked at it, with awe. How truly unpredictable. Of course, she had been using the advantage of him forgetting about the pawn to destroy him from the side. The bishop flew to the side.

"Lovely…" He breathed, and played another bishop in front of the pawn. "To protect my king…I will sacrifice any pieces. My king is strongest and he shall be strongest alone."

As he said this once more, instead of the pawn moving, the queen came.

"Oh my…how filled with risk." He watched as the queen destroyed the bishop. Counterattacking, he moved his remaining rook to the king. "Check."

Not so, as the king moved, but all he did was calmly bring his rook along with it.

It was a game of cat-and-mice, and he followed the rook down to his side of the board, where the other pieces were currently waiting. An eyebrow raised as instead of the queen moving to protect the king or the king moving to protect himself, the knight moved in.

"Pointless." And he destroyed the knight.

And the queen and king did not move, yet the pawn that had escaped his notice moved closer to his side of the board. Oh…he should've moved to block that sooner! He debated whether to use his remaining rook to destroy it, yet finally decided the chance of defeating the king could not be ignored and so, he moved farther in. "Check." He said once again, watching the pawn. It did not move to his side of the board where they could've reclaimed one of their pieces.

Instead, the queen defeated the rook.

How risqué. How positively lovely. She had moved without even thinking.

"Now all I have left…is the king." He stared at that piece and smiled. "Just the way it should've been."

But, when he moved his piece to get rid of that pawn, he noted, that the next move, instead of trying to protect a possible advantage in the playing field, the queen stood there, as if solemn and the pawn destroyed himself. It blew up once it reached his side, the ghostly face of him rising upwards before the light went out and it went to the side of the chessboard.

"Now why would he choose to do that?" He wondered aloud. "Why would Emraan choose to defect to their side and then just blow himself up?"

But, no, they did not bring another queen onto the board, instead, they brought back…

…

"…the black knight?!"

So surprised, he moved his king away from the risk of being attacked, and was even more surprised when the queen stopped right in front of him. "They're planning an all frontal attack?"

Nevertheless, before he could move in to defeat the queen, even though he had no wish to—he had no choice, she was badgering—the wooden door blasted open.

"ARE YOU YUKI?!" So lovely…black-furred, just like the black queen…wait…some of her colouring was black while some of it was gray. How positively intruiging… He smiled and got up from the floor, snapping his paw, the chessboard disappearing immediately.

"And if I am?"

"He is." Surprisingly, that was not that traitor Emraan's voice. It was another's. Another hare walked in behind her, and he recognized the face from one of the images projected by the black knight.

"You, boy, who are you?" He glowered.

"Windbreeze." He said, replying angrily.

"This battle has to come. It's been coming for thousands of years, liege." Emraan spat out, appearing behind the two. "You were the one that caused the great Ragnarok and Torquoi war, the one that's still going on to this day. We're going to END it."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah." She crouched into position. "I, Backlash Quickpaw, will KILL YOU!" And she pushed off, swinging out her sword.

"What?" Backlash gasped. She was on the floor, huffing, her side hurting from muscle cramps, and her body badly bruised. For some reason, these beasts…hares, all of them, a construct of mud and earth…and skeleton…with glowing red eyes attacked.

Emraan had managed to pick up the slack for being outnumbered, but now, he was up to what she guessed was 2 percent of his original stamina. He was slowing down, and as an old man, his back was aching up.

Everyone was tired, even Windbreeze, who pretended not to.

When you're tired, the judgment fails.

And this was what was happening.

Backlash couldn't believe it. Every stroke, every attack, everything…he seemed to be well aware of that…but why?

"It's like…" Windbreeze gasped, badly bruised and battered, his face hit worst of all as he demolished another beast, his right eye closed completely because of bruised swelling from a really heavy blow and his other just barely managing to stay open. Every breath was a battle for him to stay upright and not topple over. "…he knows…what we're going to do, and how we're going to do it."

"The chessboard." Emraan said suddenly. "He's used the chessboard." His tired gaze hardened onto his lieges calm and sort of amused face. "…that chessboard…how could you?!" He gasped, and stood up, clutching a heavily bleeding forearm. "…for every piece's light that goes out…one of the lives of a Torquoi—white piece, and a Ragnarok—black piece… Their lives are destroyed."

"Of course. Why else? It is always good to have an advantage." Yuki smirked, and Emraan roared with anger, but there was nothing he could do, as he fell to his knees and breathed and gasped, each breath, like Windbreeze's a battle for him. But this was a battle to stay alive. Alive. Suddenly, Yuki's smirk vanished as he ordered one of his beasts, "Attack the old man. His assistance is no longer required, as I have her now."

Backlash didn't like the way he said 'her'. It made 'her' feel metallic and like an object. Who was this 'her', anyway? "…shit, it's me." She realized. She moved in to protect Emraan. Sure, the old man got on her nerves, but, he was still old. He reminded her of Uncle Emrys. Oh no, not Uncle Emrys. She wouldn't let Uncle—er, another one die.

Yuki smiled, in a way that sent shivers running up her spine and she looked around. It didn't seem as though Emraan or Windbreeze were affected. Right now, she was amazed at that boy. He was more powerful than she could've imagined. Maybe even stronger than her.

'And all this time, I knocked him around…was he LETTING me? So that I'd let my guard down?!' She freaked out, as one of Yuki's beasts ran past her to Emraan. It felt like stone weights were on her legs. She couldn't move. It attacked him and he coughed out blood.

Blood.

Out of the corner of her horrified eyes, she noticed that Windbreeze, choking on his own determination, slowly edged his way towards Yuki, but flinched when the hare's gaze was upon him. She didn't blame him. That Yuki's gaze was enough to make her want to die right then and there. And then, one of Yuki's remaining beasts moved inward to the boy.

No…

She watched as Windbreeze walked around the beast, eyeing the monster cautiously, and stumbled towards Yuki, who snorted, and rolled his eyes, before another monster intercepted the boy's path.

NO.

Backlash didn't know what to do. She could see that Windbreeze had now fallen to his knees and was now…now…

Emraan had beforehand, created a double of himself, but that double was gasping as well, feeling the pain of the original. That double was near Windbreeze and Yuki…but… She couldn't leave Emraan—but Windbreeze.

As Yuki's expectant gaze fell upon her, she finally gripped her sword and destroyed the rook that threatened Windbreeze's safety. "GO!" She tried to yell, but it came as a hoarseful gasp. And she collapsed.

"Backlash!" He to her side, but she hit him away.

"Idiot! Ugh…" She coughed before throwing up on the floor and it was all he could do not to run around screaming. He was still the wimp instead, Windbreeze was still that child, who cried, that child who couldn't do much without his own mother. His legs quacked underneath him, but he still stood. Backlash forced herself to look at Yuki and she pointed her sword at him, her paws shaking at that weight. "I'll get you…next…if I can…" She threw up again.

Yuki decided to go with the moves he had played in the game. After all, if he moved differently than in the game, the outcome would possibly be different, and he might lose. Not that he would, mind you. Besides.

One of the monsters went to shield him, and Windbreeze ground his teeth. Just when Backlash had created an opening too!

He was surprised when Emraan's double ran to defeat that monster. That double was just as bad as Emraan, maybe even worse! How could he still be moving? It was like… …his paws shook, into fists and he stared at his footpaws. He was weak. Backlash and Emraan were strong, they could handle stuff like this, but here, he was quaking. Scared. He was scared of death.

One of the remaining monsters moved in to the double. He half-expected Emraan's double to attack once more, but just watched on, as Emraan's second moved aside and…Backlash?! She ran forward and defeated the monster, yet ended up hurling onto the corpse. Emraan's double looked on, his head turned purposefully to the side.

Yuki's last monster, moved to the original.

NO!

Both his and Backlash's eyes were upon the movements of the monster. They couldn't move.

Emraan was a still a warrior at heart and he avoided the monster as well as he could, but instead of stopping to attack another target, Yuki's remaining monster followed. Continued following that was. When Emraan reached the two, he fell, down, gasping, and angrily, Windbreeze destroyed the monster.

It took a little more effort, but it burst into pieces of skeleton, bone, and dirt and earth. But then it came back, stronger. Windbreeze could only blanch and look up at it, horrified. The one time he was brave enough…the one time…AND NOW HE WAS GOING TO DIE?!

The Emraan double edged passed Yuki, but the monster only turned from Windbreeze to attack Emraan. Backlash blasted that monster to pieces, her paws shaking as they held the hilt of the sword, and her breathing was heavy and almost forceful and necessary. It was heartbreaking to see her, a nearly defeated warrior on the last verges of strength.

Immediately Yuki turned to defeat the Emraan double, his eye still on Backlash, he heard a warping sound, as the double touched the elemental orb. And blew himself up into pieces, the orb destroyed alongside with it.

"Emraan?!" Windbreeze yelped.

"That orb…is Air. It's the Air orb, young one." Emraan gasped, doubled over. "Call upon it…if you know how to. With your soul."

"What?" Windbreeze freaked out. He didn't know what to do…he didn't—

"Get a hold of yourself, Windbreeze!" Backlash shouted. "The battle's not over until the battle's over!"

'She's right. I don't…I don't know what to do…but I'll ask Wind to help!' Windbreeze stood straight, his silver eyes narrowing, and he shouted, "WIND, NOW!" Slicing winds appeared, and Yuki had to dodge, using effort.

He grit his teeth. ACTUAL effort! HIM, Yuki!

Backlash knew what Windbreeze was risking, but as she ran forward, sword raised, she only stopped and just stood there, struggling to catch her breath. She couldn't do it…she just…she just couldn't. She was tired…so tired, her vision was hazy…ever so hazy…

She threw her sword at his head, a last resort. But he easily ducked, letting the sword dig itself into the stone wall behind. But the sword had turned fire, and had burnt his paw, his left one, the one he had used to automatically shield his head as he ducked.

Backlash blanched and she fell back.

"Wh...who...no..." Backlash shook as she stared up at the obviously superior white furred hare. "...WHAT are you?"

"Why, my dear sweet Quickpaw..." Yuki purred, bending down and leaning in. Backlash scrambled backwards, eyes never leaving Yuki, who smirked more and then neared her. She was shaking, and she had never felt so scared in her life. Her eyes fell on the male's left paw. Complete bone. No fur, no meat, no...nothing. "I am...Yuki. And you...shall be my mate."

She screamed.

"NO! STOP IT!" Windbreeze gasped, making Yuki turn and eyes widened as he saw the boy holding the air orb. Wind had created it for him. He would use it. Wind had sacrified his feelings to give Windbreeze this—another air orb. His paw clutched it tightly and just barely managing to hang in there, he raised the orb up to eyelevel, before gripping it so tightly that it broke.

He looked at it. 'OH MY GOD I JUST BROKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD'VE—I'm useless…' He fell to his knees, but was surprised to find himself breathing normally, and if…possible…feeling…STRONGER?! And his stamina replenished.

He ran forward and punched Yuki away, the hare flying to the wall, and Windbreeze saw his chance, rushing to the wall and yanking out the sword.

To Backlash and Emraan, it seemed as though the sword had extracted itself from the wall, hazel smudges of colouring around it as it flipped itself over and ran right through Yuki as the hare fell back, his last breath leaving him.

"Amazing…" Emraan gasped. "My liege…he could only be killed by a direct strike to the heart!"

And he fell down, and Backlash's vision went hazy once more as she saw Windbreeze stumble over Yuki's dead, and now decayed body. It seemed as though the hare had used spells to keep himself alive. Spells of the Torquoi that had been said to be lost in a great fire.

She fell unconscious then.