For k'Chaera
Written by:  Dark Phoenix



Hey everybody!  I'm reposting my story over, after having re-edited it and spell checked it and all that fun jazz.

Comments are always welcome.  Email me at:  E_HealerDkPhoenix@yahoo.com

Okay, the legal stuff:  I don't know the lives and preferences of any celebrities mentioned, nor do I frankly care.  This is a fictitious story.  All ideas in this story belong to the author and the author alone.  If you aren't old enough to be on this site, leave.  If you are offended by anything of a GAY {oh my god the g-word was used} nature, once again please leave.  Once again I know not the personal lives and preferences of any celebrities mentioned, and I frankly don't care for that is their personal business.

This story is dedicated to all that have faith in themselves and those that they love.





* DREAM SEQUENCE *

    It's dark and he's running down a corridor.  He hears screaming and the sounds of battle.  He can smell the fear that the Opposition has for their attacker, his beloved.  Swords are striking each other and he can feel the energy flying from MageCraft and Gifts.  The Opposition seems to have their own Magi with them tonight; this cannot be a good sign.  He stops and incants a Ward around himself.  He stands still 'til he can feel the energy surround and coalesce into the Ward that will protect him from MageCraft.  He pulls out his GoldSteel blade.  He sighs as he remembers the night his beloved forged it for him.  He tries a few practice swings before continuing on to the battle.  He would look at the ancient armour and statues in the hall, but his anger and bloodlust is urging him on to defend it all, this his beloved's castle and their home.  He continues on running and begins to incant a new spell

    "Flareon Lux!" he screams as a battle cry.  The fighting stops for just a second as the Opposition is blinded by the Holy Light spell he just uttered.  He then hears screams and the fighting begins anew.  He sees his beloved and gasps in awe of his beloved's beauty and grace in battle.  His beloved was wearing the basic chain mail armour that he favored.  It was glistening with the ochre blood of the Opposition as well as his own sweat.  His eyes glowed with Power and MageCraft.  He was just awed by the beauty and grace displayed by his beloved as the Opposition was vying for control of the battle.  They were up against about 15 - 20 Agents of the Opposition.

    He took to flight using his Gift of Telekinesis.  He flips and somersaults over the fighting, slashing and killing the Opposition as he flew over them, and lands next to his beloved.

    "The fighting is almost done outside, luv,"  he grunts as he begins to fight anew.

    "That's good," his beloved grunts as he swings his paired QuickSilver Blades and takes the heads of several Opposition agents.
 
    They begin to fight in earnest now as the Opposition keeps coming and coming as they kill those in the hall already.  This goes on for several minutes and then they hear the stomping of metal shod boots.  They breathed a quick sigh of relief as they see the guards and castle magi come in from the fighting outside, and noticed that they had become separated during the fight.

    "Ya know luv, it took them long enough," he hollers to his beloved, and waited for a reply.  When one didn't come he looked over his shoulder.  The sight he saw chills him to this day, for there stood his beloved, skewered by several of the Opposition's ShadowBlades.

    "No!!!" he screamed as he once again took flight and beelined toward his beloved.   He saw his beloved look up once and whisper, "I love you."

    "NO!!!!!!!!!!!" was all that was heard from his throat as he saw his beloved burst in Flames of Power and Magick.

    "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    Zak woke up screaming.  He sat straight up in bed and started to shiver like he was frozen, even though he lived in the middle of Florida.  He looked around the bed chamber in this, the same castle.  It had taken much Magick and skill to bring it here but here it is.  He floated himself out of bed and over to the window, remembering the rest of that battle.

* FLASHBACK *

    His beloved had used the last of his power to engulf himself and attempt to activate his latent SpellFlame gift.  To his beloved's honour and prowess, it worked.  Zak flew toward the edge of the hall to avoid being struck with the WildFire.  Zak just stood there in awe and shock as his beloved incinerated the Opposition with WildFire.  His tears began to flow as he saw his beloved crumple and float gently to the floor.  Zak flew straight to his beloved and checked for any sign of life, any sign at all.  Upon not finding any Zak just sat there cradling there cradling his beloved's head and crying profusely whispering, "Don't die please, don't die."

    The guards and magi from the castle wondered into the hall to see it burned clean of any marks and stains of battle.  They looked around and saw their Master on the floor and  his beloved crying over the body.

    "Lord Zak?" one of the guards whispered, fearing the worst.  After a few moments of silence the guard, saw the body begin to glow as if an Adept had died, and saw his worst fear come true:  Master was dead.  He began the lock down orders that were drilled into him and his guards.  He left Zak with the body of Master for now and walked away in tears, ordering everybody to leave the room as well.  As they left the room, Zak stood back from the body as it began to glow with Light.

    Music began to flow throughout the room, reaching into Zak and suffusing him with Light as well.  He felt his pain and suffering diminish and love fill his heart again and a voice of Love began to fill the room:

    "Dearest Zaknafein, it is time for you and your beloved to part a ways.  Take his pendant, and accept his final gift to you."

    Zak nodded and the pendant floated off of his beloved and settled around his neck.  At the instant the pendant touched his skin, his mind exploded with his beloved's raw power and Gifts and then last gift, the SpellFlame.  At that realization, Zak began to cry anew.

    "Beloved ..... "

    Zak started at the voice of his love.  He looked up to see his beloved in full glory and splendor, armour, weapons, and Gifts.  Zak continued to allow his tears to fall.

    "k'Chaera, have Faith, I will be back for you.  You have Tasks before you, but they are not here.  In my library, there is a book for you to read.  You will know when you get there, it will teach you how to use your new gifts and how to get to where you are needed for your Tasks.

    "When you get to where you are going,  you will be all set with everything you will ever need.  Do not worry about a job or money, the Guardian will be there for you.  None will question your being there.  Just be forewarned, the Opposition is defeated but only for now.  They will remain underground and covert, since we have eliminated more than half of their strength in numbers and power.

    "You will be alone for a while, and I will not be able to see you until then.  Just remember my Gift of SpellFlame and let it guide you to me once again.  I love you and will always be there for you in spirit until I can come back to you again."

    Zak stood there and watched as the Light faded.  Zak immediately set his beloved's body to Flame, whispering the Final Benediction for an Adept who had passed away.

* END FLASHBACK *

    Zak stood there and wondered what would be if his beloved hadn't died then.  He stood there for a few minutes and then shook his head.

    "Those aren't the thoughts to have; I'm very happy right now, I've got the castle still and all that he left me.  He *promised* to be back," Zak thought to himself.  He sighed, "after all it's been only about 200 years since I last saw him."

    Zak left the window and floated to the washroom.  He looked over the ancient equipment that the Guardian had updated to modern day standards.  He sighed as he began to take a shower.   Zak looked in the mirror and giggled as his beloved's final gift.  Even though he was actually around 230 years old he didn't look a day over 20 when he received the Gifts from his beloved.  Before he was just a Journeyman Magius, now he is an Adeptus Majori, with Gifts galore to boot.  He sighed, remember that he lived while his beloved, who was easily more powerful, had died.  Zak shrugged and stepped into the shower, relishing the hot water against his skin.  He thought back over the past 200 years or so.

* FLASHBACK *

    After his beloved was reduced to ashes, Zak had then opened the earth beneath himself and dropped the ashes into the lava beneath.  He stood there in shock of his new found knowledge and power.  Zak just stood there and stared at his hands, watching them as his body began to assimilate the new found power.  He could feel it's depth into his soul and it become a part of him as if he always had it.  Zak began to shudder uncontrollably, and sank to the floor crying and sobbing.  He was sparking with Lightning and letting off gouts of WildFire as he sobbed on the floor where his beloved was just laid to rest.

    "Lord Zak, Lord Zak, there is a young lady here for you," a guard said as he was guiding a young lady into the hall.  Both stood there dumbfounded as soon as they saw him down on the floor sobbing uncontrollably.  The young lady at that point ran to Zak and reached out a hand.  Royal blue light flared from her hand and surrounded Zak.  The guard saw the light flow and pulled a dagger to throw at her.

    "Lady, I know you not but you had better let our lord out of you foul sorceries," the guard threatened, ready to throw his dagger at her back.  At his words, she raised a hand and a platinum band appeared on her slender wrist.

    "Sir Guard, do ye know what this means?" she asked waving her arm.  The guard started to sputter and apologize profusely.

    "Lady Guardian, forgive me.... we were just attacked by the Opposition and we're recovering our losses, especially the lost of our Master....." and with that the guard began to tear up and left the room when he saw the lady wave for him to go.

    "Zaknafein, ye must be tired lad.  Take us to your bedchamber, please," she asked the sobbing Zak.  He nodded and teleported both him and the lady to his bedchamber.  She looked around set him down on the bed, letting him cry himself to sleep.

* skip over loads of time *

    Zak was standing in the Practice Room, several years after meeting Midnight.  He'd been practicing the same attack for several hours now, the LevinBolt.  By now he wasn't too thrilled with it, it was in his mind too basic and simple.

    "Zak, why are ye still standing there?  Didn't I just say to launch again?" Midnight said, standing there tapping her foot, "haven't I told you that you should keep at it until you are drained?"

    "Midnight, I haven't been drained in 5 years.  How do you expect me to understand what you are saying?  I've had more energy since ..<coughs>..... and I haven't been low on energy since." Zak begins to tear up at that point.  He then realizes that its been 15 years to date that his beloved died.  Zak then breaks down and cries in the practice room.

    "Zak .... oh my, it's ......"  Midnight's eyes grow wide as she realizes the date.  Zak's beloved had died on this day 15 years ago. She looks up to see Zak crumple to the ground and rushes over to him.

    "Sweetie, I'm sorry hon, I forgot," she whispered as she held him tight, "Hon? Take us to your room and Ill put you to bed."  She waved and released the Wards on the practice room just as Zak teleported them to his bedchamber.  Midnight floated him over to the bed and concentrated a few moments to reset the Wards on the practice room.  Once she was done she decided to stay and stay with him.  He ended up sleeping all of his desperation and fear away.

* END FLASHBACK *

    Zak looked up from his reverie and realized he was still in the shower.  The water by that time was getting on the nippy side.  He used some power to heat the pipe and finished his shower with some fresh hot water.  He got out of the shower and shrugged; he had at first argued over "stupid and frivolous" use of power, such as the LevinBolts that Midnight insisted that he learn and master.  She was very insistent on that.  He had at one point decided to only use his Power as needed for dire situations and none other; Midnight was very quick to produce some very unlady-like sounds at that thought.  Zak tried to stick to his word because he didn't want to misuse his powers, but that almost had gotten him killed.  It was another battle with the Opposition; they had almost gotten the better of him and his castle guards.  Zak was just fighting on battle skill alone, not willing to use his power and Gifts.  The Opposition had decided to use Magick on him and he was almost obliterated.  His last second decision to use his Gifts are all that saved his life.  After that incident, he agreed with Midnight that he needed the work and practice on them.  They then spent many decades on his practice and training.  Many years later, oh about 100 more or so, passed by.  By then Zak was really wondering about something, for some reason he had never physically grown any older.

* FLASHBACK *

    Time had passed and Zak had become more than proficient in his powers.  He was now accepting the past as the past and was ready to move on to the next stage, but something was really nagging him:  Why he didn't seem to age physically?  He was at practice one night and decided to ask Midnight about it.

    "Midnight, why haven't I aged?" Zak questioned after a particularly vicious volley of LevinBolts, FireBalls, and LightningBolts was successfully deflected by his shields.

    "What do you mean, darlin?" Midnight asked back, sending an AeroWave after him.

    "I was thinking," Zak somersaulted over the AeroWave, "we've been through about 20 different staff turnovers now, since the battle.  I have seen them all age but I haven't aged a bit physically, I mean I understand a few silver streaks from the Magick, but that's to be expected with the amount of power I wield, K'Chaera had them, so I should too.  But I was wondering why do I look basically the same as I did *that* day, almost 150 years ago?"  Zak landed on his feet and sent his own volley of LevinBolts at Midnight.

    "Well, hon, that's a," Midnight caught the LevinBolts with her willpower and flicked them into the Wards, "simple thing.  Your K'Chaera was one of the Guardians.  They age very slowly due to the lengths of their Tasks.  He died serving the Light and left you as his Heir.  You have your own Tasks that need to be fulfilled, but there is a small hitch."

    Zak stood there in shock, not really knowing what to say.

    "Zaknafein, you have a Task to fulfill as well, but you were to be reborn later in a different time and place.  The Opposition was able to throw the time lines out of alignment.  Hence your K'Chaera sacrificed himself in your place to let you survive to be able to fulfill your destiny.  His Task is done, protecting you.  You have been working and training for many years now.  Do you feel ready to fulfill your Task?"

* END FLASHBACK *

  What followed was a long and grueling year.  Zak remembered fondly the time he spent with Midnight.  They slowly prepared for what would be the greatest spell either of them had ever done.  He sent all of the servants home with a pension that would last them a lifetime and beyond.  Midnight had spoken with certain families and told them to await her return.  Then Zak and Midnight undertook the impossible: moving the entire castle through time into the future.  Zak had found out that his task was to defend a city in the future, one Orlando that was in Florida.  At the time the names meant nothing to him, but now having been in Orlando for about 20 years now.  They had worked for nights  and days on end, and were successful.  Now the castle, in all of it majesty, was nestled in Winter Park, a small down within minutes of Orlando.  Midnight had contacted the Guardians there and now all was settled.  Zaknafein was now Zak Fenix; Midnight was his aunt who "owned" the castle.  They each had jobs that allowed them to work out of the castle, but otherwise they had their wealth from previous, in the form of gold and jewels that they slowly sold out for money, when they needed it.  Both of them being Guardians, they didn't need to much in monetary means, except to maintain the castle and it's new caretakers.  Midnight had contacted the families from the past and they all stayed good to their word and returned to take care of the grounds, free room and board & food, all for taking care of the grounds and an oath of silence about the inhabitants of the castle.  Everything was settled down now.  All was in readiness and Zak has the beginnings of his new Task:  Guardianship.  He's to be the Guardian of the area and all that is here.

    He was finished getting dressed and headed down stairs, opting to take the stairwell instead of simply teleporting.  Midnight met him down at the bottom of the stairwell.

    "Hon, are you still getting a kick out of *walking* down a stairwell?"  Midnight jovially shot at him.

    "Midnight, bite your tongue, " Zak threw back.

    "Oh, feisty aren't we this morning?"

    Midnight walked off toward the kitchen for breakfast. Zak followed her just floating off the ground.

    "Zak, hon, when was the last time you went out?"  Midnight asked as they entered the kitchen.

    "I don't know," Zak replied settling down in a chair.  Zak tried to remember the last time that he went out and had fun on the town.  Orlando did have a somewhat decent nightlife.  He was beginning to miss music and dancing, but his responsibilities as a Guardian seemed to take over his life.  Nights were typically spent scouting the town for Agents and then neutralizing them as he found them.  This was his routine until he got bored, at that point he just came home and went to bed.

    "Zak, dearie, you know that one night out won't allow the Opposition to take over the entire city.  That and there are others who can Guard while you are out."

    "I'll think about it then," Zak replied as he finished his breakfast.

    The day rolls by, Zak and Midnight are working when Midnight decides to sneak into Zak's office, unseen.  She hears him listening to the radio, something he doesn't do very often.  Then she heard something she hadn't heard in almost forever, Zak was singing!  Midnight stood there in shock.  Not only was he singing, he was singing to the local group, oh what's their name, the Backstreet Boys.  Midnight couldn't believe her ears, boy this kid could sing.  Beautiful voice, talented too.  Midnight now was very curious as to why this kid never went out.  He could very easily woo many people on the town.  Midnight snuck back out and headed back to her office.

    "Ya know, I've got to get that kid to go out some more, his voice is almost as good as his K'Chaera's.  I'm extremely envious, but then I just love listening to music.  He puts his heart into his singing, just like his K'Chaera did, wow, " Midnight then started a frenzy of phone calls and e-mails.

    Several hours later she finally had it all set up.  The boy was finally getting a night off.  She had contacted enough Guardians and fellow magi to cover for the kid tonight.  She looked at the calendar and sighed, not only was it a friday night but it happened to be the anniversary of the original battle that started the whole thing.  She sighed thought about how to get him out of the house.  Midnight was wondering when a memo came across her screen:  {from Milano} hey babe!  Just wanted to let you know that I heard the Backstreet Boys are going on the town tonight.  Midnight started to chuckle at that.  She just had the perfect idea on how to get him out tonight.

    Finally dinner time came.  Midnight decided to cook that night, preparing some of Zak's favourite foods.  She had spent an hour or so in the kitchen cooking for the lad, when he walked in and smiled.

    "Midnight, you didn't have to cook for me tonight.  I could have done it," Zak protested as he floated up and sat on the counter, "Oh, and you even made some of my favourites.  What's the special occasion?"

    "Well, hon, I've got a surprise for you," Midnight said evasively.

    "Midnight, what did you do?" Zak playfully shot at her.

    "Honey, I just heard that the Backstreet Boys are on the town tonight," Midnight whispered.

    "What! you've got to be kidding me???'

    "Well you won't know if you don't go out now will you?" Midnight smirked.

    "Oh that wasn't nice, " Zak pouted.

    "Whoever said that I was?"

    Zak rolled his eyes and sat down to the finished meal, thoroughly enjoying it.  He and Midnight finished up dinner and went upstairs to get him changed for his night out.

***************

    Meanwhile on the other side of town, BSB was getting ready to head out on the town.  Milano, their driver, was waiting on them outside.

    "God, Brian, are you taking long enough?" AJ hollered jokingly.

    Brian looked in the mirror and shivered. It was happening again, the spark in his eyes was there.  It looked like a living flame in his eyes.  So far contacts had hidden it, but tonight they didn't work.  He sighed and put on shades as he walked out to the limo.

    "Cuz, you okay?" Kevin asked as he noticed the shades.

    "I'm okay, just don't wanna be recognized tonight."

    Kevin accepted that answer and let it be.  The others weren't even paying attention, they were to wrapped up in deciding where to go for the night.  After several minutes of debate, the boys decided to just cruise down Orange Avenue, a major club strip in Orlando.  They were just chilling out and having fun, when Brian saw sparks and lights flash down at Lake Eola.

***************

        After dinner, Zak had gone out like Midnight suggested and spent a wonderful night at a local karaoke bar, singing his heart out and actually earning spare cash.  After having fun singing, Zak decided to stroll around Lake Eola to get some fresh air and relaxation.  He was just walking around when he heard chanting.  Zak looked around and saw that he was surrounded by masked fighters.

    "Man, on my night out, and I get jumped," Zak swore, with that he prepared to defend himself.

***************

    "Hey guys? What's that?" Brian asked as he pointed to the sparks and lights.

    "Don't know," Kevin said, "let's go check it out."

    "After all this is our hometown," Nick said as the rest of the guys agreed and started to head down to Lake Eola.  They all got their cell phones ready just in case.

TBC . . . .


Cliffhanger, I know; Not much BSB, I know that too.  Don't worry they'll be in the next one more.  It's my first story so, any comments and questions are more than welcome.  Thanx for reading and thanx to all that helped.

After much consideration, I'm going to work on reediting the story and get back in the groove of writing again.