Author's Note: Alright, my first Everlost story! I seem to be writing a lot of firsts recently, anyway, I am a AVID fan of Neal Shusterman's and adore him as an author, so here you go, enjoy. (I know the story may seem stilted, I'm sorry, but personally I think it somehow captures my own perception and portrayal of Everlost.) I would also like to thank my not-really-beta, Wolf-Shinigami, you're invaluable.

Disclaimer: It is a shame to say that I do not own the rights to Everlost, I receive no money for writing, unfortunately, so if you sue me, don't expect much. The rights do belong to Neal Shusterman and Simon and Schuster publications.

"It's been so long."

The Sky Witch's soft voice seem to grow slowly from the earth up, surpassing the blades of grass, perpetually still, and gently float on the wind. Her eyes, soft, and yet hard, gazed out several feet from her to a boy standing alone. His silhouette was still, the smell of chocolate emanated from him, despite the traces having left his face from the first time she had ever met him, covered in the brown sticky substance.

He seemed to have not changed a single bit, aside from the gentle boyish features now apparent, everything about him was as exactly as she remembered, but even then, her memory had been becoming darker and darker in the passed thousand years. The only thing she could remember now, as clear as crystal was her feelings for the boy, she had kissed him once. Allowing her lips to come to rest on his chocolate covered ones, at the time, and relished in it.

"You need to stop, let me show them where they were meant to go." The Chocolate Ogre pleaded gently, lifting his hands slightly from his sides. "They aren't meant to be here, this is just a rest stop on their journey."

"Shut up! They are meant to be here! Or they would have gotten wherever they were going in the first place, and not ended up here." The Witch's eyes blazed into life, glaring hatefully, and with a stray hint of longing, at the boy. The Ogre.

The battle between the two had raged for what seemed like eternity, and then some, each fighting for what they thought was right, where every unfortunate Afterlight was caught up in between the two individuals struggles, Mary Hightower, the Sky Witch, fighting to keep her children in Everlost, shelter them, keep them safe for all time in the endless place between places.

Nick, the Chocolate Ogre, fighting over each and every one of the children Mary had taken in, trying to free them, allowing them to take the coins that somehow was brought with every person to Everlost, allowing them, when they were meant too, to continue on their own journey to wherever it is they were meant to be. Only having to have to wish it hard enough while clasping the coin between shaking fingertips.

"That can't be, or else they wouldn't leave when it's their time!" The Ogre shot back.

"And what about our time?" The Sky Witch burst out, screaming at him. "We've been here for so long, so long, over and over, when is it our turn to go where we're meant too?"

Mary's eyes glistened softly with tears, reaching into her pocket she withdrew her coin, rubbing the cold metal between her fingers. With another scream of rage she went and threw it over her head, and over Nick's, launching it into the sky as it spun out of sight.

"I'll save them all! Then they will be okay, and they won't have to hurt!" The tears flowed from the Sky Witch's eyes as she snarled at Nick, turning on her heel and stalking off, but not before calling back over her shoulder.

"Stop getting in my way!"

Nick quietly gazed at the spot she had stood at, sighing inwardly as he in turn withdrew his own cold coin, staring at it as if he could somehow force it to blossom into warmth, the telltale sign of an Afterlight ready to leave.

It remained cold.

"Maybe." He mused gently to himself. "We are were we were meant to be all along."

The Chocolate Ogre slowly turn his hand, letting his coin fall from his palm with a soft thump onto the grass beneath his feet, and walked away.