Hey guys... if there's still anyone reading. Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been super busy w/a contest entry. I still have a bit more tweaking to do, but if you are going to Sakuracon this year, you might see something... interesting. But anyways, moving on, thank you so much to those who've stuck it out! We've finally reached... the last stage.

I don't own anything. I'm just... crazy. So, behold!

Wonder-Ring

Final Stage - Starlight

Kendall couldn't see anything. He groped at his face, making sure his eyes were open. There was nothing but darkness. His voice echoed, unheard through the void as he began walking.

"Hello?" He called out, but there was no reply. He strained his other senses, hearing soft whispers coming from his left. Hands outstretched, he advanced slowly, in a direction he almost felt like he was being pulled in. Each step felt heavy, like he was walking through mud, but Kendall trudged on. The whispers grew louder, but he still couldn't make out what was being said. But he knew the voice. James.

Tomoko nearly tripped when her shoes left the concrete and made contact with the slippery grass. Ryusei was much faster and was barely within her line of sight. As much as she wanted to protest him fighting without being able to transform, he was the only one who could get Kendall back. Quickly regaining her balance, she skidded to a halt when her path was cut off by several Dustards. They were holding a hostage. Logan. The sweater vested boy looked absolutely terrified and ready to do a number in his pants. Tomoko reached into her bag for her tablet to call the Foodroids, but soon she saw that it wouldn't be necessary. Carlos had tackled the Dustard holding Logan and wrestled the boy free from its clutches before wailing on it with his hockey stick.

"YOU. DON'T. MESS. WITH. MY. LOGIE!" Carlos roared and with one final strike, the Dustard exploded into dust. The other Dustards didn't take to kindly to Carlos destroying their comrade and the Latino was quickly surrounded. Tomoko charged forward and tried to pull one of them off Carlos but a loud scream and a solid cracking sound broke the crowd apart, Logan swinging a sock that apparently had something hard in it above his head.

"Stay back!" Logan screamed. "I'm not afraid to use this!"

"Logan!" Carlos stared as Tomoko helped him to his feet. "I didn't know you had it in you!"

"Yeah… well." Logan's face flushed. He quickly turned and swung the sock into the stomach of one of the Dustards, causing it to crumple to the ground in pain.

"What is in that sock?" Tomoko asked.

"I think it's butter." Logan said simply. "Now, time to get swingy."

"I can't believe it's… yeah, I'm not gonna go there." Carlos said, picking up his hockey stick and rallying with Tomoko and Logan. "We can take these guys."

"James?" Kendall called out again. The whispers were louder now, but still incoherent. But he could see James sitting on the ground through the swirling dark mists just ahead of him, head down, hugging his knees. Kendall picked up his pace and was soon kneeling by the taller boy's side. "James." The whispering stopped.

James turned at the sound of his name, his eyes widening when he saw Kendall. He took Kendall's outstretched hand, trembling as Kendall pulled him to his feet.

"Kendall. You're here." James whispered in disbelief.

"Yeah… where are we?" Kendall asked.

"I don't know." James said. "I thought I was alone… I always wind up here whenever Shane takes over my body. It's like a prison… but I've never been in here for so long."

Kendall stared into the dark mists. "Is there a way out?"

"No. I'm so sorry Kendall." James said, about to burst into tears. "I didn't think that Shane would do this."

"Hey, it's not your fault." Kendall said, pulling James close.

"But it is." James said, tears starting to fall. "If I hadn't found that stupid ring… Shane wouldn't be here. None of this would be happening."

"It's OK. We'll get through this." Kendall said softly, trying to reassure the other boy. "What does the ring have to do with Shane?"

"When I found it as a kid Shane started talking to me through it. Then… one day, he was… possessing my body and I didn't have any control. I couldn't get rid of the ring, he wouldn't let me." James said slowly. "The things I could see in his mind Kendall. He's done so many horrible things."

"What's Shane trying to do now?" Kendall asked.

"Take you away." James said. "He's going to…"

James froze up, his eyes slowly meeting Kendall's, now full of fear.

"I…"

Kendall's eyes snapped open at the sensation of his mouth being invaded by a tongue. He was being kissed by James, no, Shane. Sputtering, he pushed Shane away, Shane giving him a sly smirk as he wiped his mouth with his, no, James' sleeve.

"What the hell?" Kendall yelled, scrambling to his feet, trying to get his bearings. Tall trees and the smell of moss surround him. They were in the forest behind the school. He hadn't ventured into the woods, so running away wasn't much of an option.

"Just kissing you awake Kendall." Shane smiled sadistically as the Zodiarts tightened its grip on Kendall's body.

"Stop it. I don't know what you're trying to do, but leave James out of it." Kendall snarled as Shane trailed a hand up the side of his body to cup his face.

"Oh silly, James is very important to me. He's the reason I'm here right now." Shane said laughing.

"So… he is your descendant." Kendall breathed as Shane turned and took a few steps back.

"He is. And what a gorgeous one he is. You know, I guess that's why I've gotten so strong. He's so determined, motivated, and best of all you just happened to like him." Shane grinned. "It's fate Kendall. I was denied a hundred years ago, I won't be denied what I want this time."

"What are you saying?" Kendall asked, as realization began to dawn on him.

"The stars want us to be together Kendall. Surely you must realize it by now, James is my reincarnation, and you… you're the descendant of my beloved that left me for that woman." Shane spat out the last word. "I love 20th century technology. The internet made tracing your genealogy so easy. It's no coincidence that you were brought back to this town… to me."

"I don't believe in that sort of thing." Kendall said sternly, his thoughts flickering back to Schmidt's letter. "I know you've been hurt Shane, but you shouldn't be taking this out on James."

"What do you know?" Shane shouted, the ring on the chain flashing angrily.

"He's hurting. And scared." Kendall said. "Please."

"Fine. I already took what I wanted from James anyway." Shane said darkly, walking over to the Zodiarts and yanking the ring from the chain around James' neck off. He pressed the ring against the Zodiarts' chest, the Lyra constellation on its body to light up, the ring slowly disappearing inside his body. Shane gave Kendall one more smirk as waves of energy shot out of James' body and into the Zodiarts', changing it to be an exact duplicate of James. Shane pushed James' unconscious body away and advanced towards Kendall.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Kendall demanded angrily as Shane cornered him.

"Nothing, darling. He's just sleeping now, having a wonderful dream." Shane said sweetly.

"Liar! You've trapped him in a nightmare!" Kendall shouted, charging forward but Shane intercepted him. "Let me go!"

"I can't do that now, can I Kendall?" Shane said, caressing Kendall's face. "Not when I'm so close to having you."

"You won't have me." Kendall said firmly. "I choose who to give my heart too, and it won't be you."

"Why resist?" Shane drawled, his eyes flashing and suddenly Kendall couldn't move. Helpless, as Shane moved in to steal another kiss.

As their lips made contact, Kendall felt his head swimming again. He pushed the past memories that Shane was feeding him to the back of his mind. He thought of Ryusei and whether or not the Rider would be able to save them. He thought of James, lying on the forest floor, trapped in his own mind.

'James.' he wished silently. 'Please… wake up.'

James was alone in the darkness. Kendall had disappeared, no doubt to where Shane was. He shook his head, trying to shake the fear and doubt that was clouding his mind. Kendall. Was Kendall going to be OK? But what could he do? He was trapped. Alone.

Something warm began pulsing in his hand. James looked down in surprise to see a warm light flowing out of his body and lighting a way through the shadows. He felt someone touch his back and a soft, reassuring voice urged him to move forward.

"You can do it. Keep going and don't look back. Believe in the bond you two have."

With each step getting lighter, James looked around in surprise as the shadows were blown away. He was standing in space, the starlight showing him the way to a door. His hand grasped the handle and pulled it open. James turned to thank the person who helped him.

"Kendall?!"

The blonde behind him smiled. "The two of you are connected, just as Shane and I."

"Then that means that you're…"

"I don't have much time. I need your help."

Kendall choked out a gasp as Shane finally released his grip on his neck. Each kiss with Shane left Kendall weaker, it was getting harder to breathe.

"James…" He said weakly.

"He's not going to save you. No one is. That lame Kamen Rider is still being kept busy by my Dustards. Your friends won't last much longer… and neither will you." Shane laughed. "Just give in Kendall. Just let go and be mine."

"No." Shane froze as a hand fell on his shoulder. James was back on his feet, and floored Shane with a right hook. "Don't. Touch. Him."

"James." Shane growled, rubbing his jaw. "How'd you wake up?"

"Someone who cares wants me to stop you." James said. "You need to stop this Shane. You have to rest in peace."

"You think you can make me?" Shane laughed as cosmic energy began distorting his form. Soon, he didn't look like James anymore, he'd mutated into a terrifying monster. Dark wings sprouted out from a elongated neck. Dark eyes and sharp teeth bared, it let out a terrifying howl.

Ryusei stopped cold at the sight as he arrived on the scene. "Last one?" He tried the driver again, but nothing happened. Dustards started swarming around him, preventing him from passing.

"Still think you can make me go in peace?" Shane roared at James.

"I don't. But he can." James said, pointing next to him. Kendall's eyes widened as a tall, thin man with bushy eyebrows appeared in a shower of sparkles.

"Hello Shane."

"No. NO. You can't be here. No!" Shane took a few steps back, his form started shrinking.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you. But you have to stop this. These boys… they have their own dreams and love to find. I know it hurts, but I also know that you know what you're doing isn't right. You can fix this." Schmidt's voice was calm, and firm. Shane's monstrous form continued to shrink and fade away until he was a human again. He wasn't a double of James, but the resemblance was still striking. "I know you can do the right thing."

"Why? Why do you always?" Shane gasped, tears falling from his eyes as he collapsed to his knees, the ring falling from his chest to the forest floor. The Dustards around Ryusei faded away.

"I love you. So much." Schmidt's voice was a whisper. Shane looked up and saw the figure begin to vanish.

"Please… don't go." Shane begged as the sparkles vanished into the ring's stone.

Kendall felt control of his body return to him. He knelt down by Shane, who sat, playing with the ring in his hand. Shane turned to look at Kendall and then back at the ring.

"This whole time… I didn't see clearly." Shane mumbled. "You're not him. You never could be. I'm so sorry Kendall. And James…"

James gave Shane a hard look as he helped Kendall to his feet. "I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am."

"You're lucky I like him." James said, pulling Kendall away and holding him close.

"You're the lucky one James. Don't make the mistakes that I did." Shane said, smiling sadly, he turned to Ryusei, who'd been standing back watching. "Please. End me. I… I'm ready."

Ryusei nodded, glancing at the driver on his waist that suddenly lit up before flipping the switch.

[METEOR READY?]

"Henshin." Cosmic energy from the M-BUS hit Ryusei and transformed him into Meteor.

Shane picked up the ring and held it up. Meteor touched the Meteor Galaxy.

[MARS! LIMIT BREAK!]

Meteor smashed the ring with the Mars projectile. The orange stone crumbling into dust. Shane gave out one final cry as his body faded away. James held Kendall close, the blonde shedding a few tears. As Shane faded away, the dust from the ring shone in the cool sunlight and shot out two beams of light that spiraled into the sky. Ryusei undid his transformation and helped James and Kendall out of the woods. As they walked, night began falling and the stars began coming out as they reached the edge of the forest.

"Do you think they're together now?" Kendall asked, being the first to speak.

"Maybe." James said, voice shaking. "I dunno. I wouldn't want him coming back here though."

"He made his fate." Ryusei said, looking up at the stars, then to the swirling lights heading towards him. It was Tomoko with Carlos and Logan, being led by the Foodroids.

"Hey James?" Kendall asked as Ryusei left them to get the others.

"Yeah?"

"Do you… think we can start over?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah." James said, grabbing Kendall's hand and squeezing it tightly. "I'd like that."

"The stars are so beautiful out here."

The End

GAWD I feel like that was such a cop out... but it's done! Or will there be an extra stage? Thanks for reading everybody!