Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 19:33:02 -0800 (PST)
From: NCfan <ngclle@yahoo.com>
Subject: boy-bands/heir to the darkness 11

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction.  I do not know the BSB nor
do I know their orientation.  All under 18 are advised not to continue
reading as this contains content of an adult nature!!!!

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

For one half the day, we did nothing but struggle to follow him. I had
scars all over my body from the tree branches searing my skin.  I'm pretty
sure that Kevin, Aj and Howie weren't doing that much better.

The soil beneath us began to feel hotter, less stable.  Even the trees had
started becoming scarce.  The only organisms in the ground were actually
strange looking insects, probably adapting to this dead land after
thousands of years of evolution.

Nick didn't slow down, though.  At first, I thought it was because he was
angry, but after a few hours, another idea struck me.  He seemed almost
desperate, as if he really wanted to get past the Murien Mountains soon.
Something about the way he moved, about the contradictions in his actions,
had made him seem far less threatening than before.

I mean, on the one hand, he had this look of exasperation on his face, as
if the sight of us caused pain to his eyes.  But he would every once in a
while, gather enough water and blood to feed us properly while all of us
just lay on the ground, defenseless like little chicks waiting for our
mother.  These brief moments of affection from Nick were beginning to mar
my judgment.

Once the afternoon settled in though, he looked tired while the rest of us
seemed more well-rested. It was almost as if he were struggling really hard
to keep up his energy level.  He started to slip on the rocks beneath him
more often.  Yet he barged through the land like a bulldozer.  I started to
notice that the soles of his feet were bleeding, but he paid no attention
to these minor details.  He himself didn't eat at all.  Nor did he drink
any water.  His soul was yearning for something, but what?

Just when I thought that he would faint from exertion, he gathered a
newfound source of energy and barged on.  It wasn't until late in the
evening that we approached a brook in the middle of the Murien Mountains.
This definitely brought a smile to AJ, who was ready to jump into the water
. . . had it not been for Nick.

Nick sent a magnetic field, dragging AJ back onto the land before he
completed his dive.  AJ cussed under his breath while Nick stepped forward
and stared into the waters suspiciously with one hand tightly clamped
around Aj's arm, making Aj squirm in pain.

"Dude, Nick.  There's plenty of water for all of us!" Aj tried to lighten
the mood and wincing in pain at the same time.  Howie walked up cautiously
to the water and his eyes narrowed.

"This water has a tint of red in it," Howie commented quietly.

"The Stream of Doom," Kevin whispered, mesmerized.

Nick nodded slowly, finally letting go of Aj's arm.  Aj massaged his arm
bitterly, but did not speak.  I slowly sidled up to Kevin and asked, "Why
is it called that?"

Kevin looked at me in a fatherly way.  "Anyone who drinks these waters will
be bound to the course of this stream.  And they will continue walking
until they disappear into the mist.  No one who had followed this path had
ever returned, and the only remnants that they had existed is their blood
that mixes with these waters."

I widened my eyes, absorbing this haunting story into my mind.  Aj only
stiffened, now feeling shamelessly grateful for Nick's interception.

I turned to gaze at Nick, and to my shock, he was looking at the waters as
if he wanted to taste them real badly.  However, he held back and stared at
the rest of us.  "I had followed this path once before," he said all too
softly.  "It leads to an abandoned swamp full of degraded, rotten bodies.
There was poison in the waters, rather like acid, that sears your skin
until it falls off.  The air wreaked of such a foul smell that your lungs
burn from contact.  It is rather depressing to witness."

"How . . . how did you escape?"  Kevin asked, confused.

Nick looked at Kevin, his eyes full of humility.  "Someone had held my hand
and led me out of the swamp.  I don't remember his face.  I don't know his
name.  I only know that he was very angry.  But I don't know what had
angered him."

"So you have been here before?" Aj asked, his mind starting to register
Nick's story.

Nick looked at the far edges of the stream.  He nodded complacently.  "A
long time ago.  It should have ended then."

Howie raised his head to meet Nick's eyes.  "What should have ended?"

Nick ignored Howie's question and stepped into the stream, making all of us
jump from anxiety.  Finally, Nick stopped in the middle of the stream and
turned to us expectantly.  "Don't step into the waters.  Try to jump onto
me and then I'll throw you to the other side."

I felt my body shake.  Why was he doing this?  Why was he trying to protect
us while at the same time, he was not even paying attention to his own
body?

Kevin slightly rolled his eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he was
hearing.  "Don't you think, Nick, that we could have just used our vampire
powers to glide over there without any problems?"

Nick just gazed at Kevin with amusement.  "All right, go ahead."

Kevin nodded confidently and started to jump, calling forth his vampire
skills to aid him.  He gracefully lifted his feet off the ground and flew
to the other side of the stream.  But just when he was about to make it, a
big wave appeared out of nowhere and twisted into the form of a hand, ready
to grip Kevin's feet and drag him back.  I felt my heart race and was about
to jump out and help Kevin when Howie held me back tightly.  I gazed in awe
as Nick ran towards the hand and jumped into it's clutches in place of
Kevin, allowing Kevin to land on the other side without a single drop of
water on him.  On the other hand, Nick's body was soaked from head to toe
as he struggled to stand still.  Slowly, the waters calmed down again and
me, Aj and Howie remained frozen in our spots, amazed at the entire event.

Kevin stood on the other side, speechless.  He looked at Nick's form.
Besides being a little wet, Nick appeared to be okay.  Nick breathed a
little harder and turned to me.  "Wait until I'm dry.  Then you go next."
Nick's voice was a little wet, but he looked okay to me.  So what's such a
big deal about this Stream of Doom besides that awesome show of power?

Nick closed his eyes tight and willed the waters of the Stream of Doom to
glide off his body.  Finally, Nick opened his eyes and looked at me
expectantly.  He opened his arms wide, motioning for me to jump.  I closed
my eyes and willed all my powers to help give me a boost.  The stream was
actually quite wide.  Quickly, I lifted my feet and aimed for Nick.  As I
had feared, I was about to miss Nick by a whole five feet.  I braced myself
to fly head first into the waters when I felt Nick's strong arms softening
my land and preventing me from even touching the waters.

I was actually relieved and let out a breath, but I felt myself tighten
when I realized how cold his body was.  "Are you okay?" I whispered to
Nick, which he ignored.  By now, I think he was just impatient with all our
questioning because he didn't reply.  I wish he had.  Right now, I feel
like I don't matter to him, which hurt . . . a lot.  I know I felt a little
childish, but I wanted him to comfort me, to at least let me know how he
felt.  Not to leave me guessing like a dork.  I mean, I know his demeanor
towards us showed that he still cared for us, but he didn't have to hide it
with such a cold facade.

Once again, as if reading my thoughts, he gazed into my eyes.  "Never been
better."  Then he threw me to the other side.  This time, no gigantic hand
popping out of the waters to pull me back.  One by one, Nick tossed Aj and
then Howie to the other side of the stream before he himself crossed it.

And just as he stepped out of the water, I noticed that his calves were
trickling with blood.  Sensing my eyes on his lower body, Nick answered,
"Don't worry, it's not my blood.  It belongs to those men who had died in
this Stream."  I tried to feel more comforted, but couldn't.  The bleeding
didn't stop.

Kevin, who until this time had remained quiet, began to speak.  "The blood
. . . their blood seeps into your body, doesn't it?  And with their blood,
their souls . . . their agony also become absorbed into your own blood."

Nick smiled softly at Kevin.  "I'm glad you recognize that.  Because trust
me, it's not the greatest, most elated feeling."

"The blood drives people to insanity . . . " Howie said in awe, as if
finally realizing what the waters in this Stream did to people.

Nick only smiled again.  "I guess I'm already to that point, huh?"  With
that last remark thrown into the air, he slowly walked away from the stream
and led us forth.

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

That night, we finally rested in a place that had scarcely two leafless
trees and a few rocks that settled in the dust.  The sky was a sullen gray
and the air full of silence.  There were no winds, just a disturbing
stillness to the entire landscape.  All of us were so hungry and worn out
that we dropped to the ground, desperate to regain our strength.  Nick
looked at us, disappointed by our weakness.

Knowingly, he walked over to me and held out his hand to my mouth, offering
me his blood.  I looked at him, bewildered.  He gazed at me with this
analytical look before saying, "Don't worry, I had cleansed myself of that
blood earlier.  Nothing impure in it now."

I dumbly nodded and reached for his wrist shakily.  I slowly dug my fangs
into his soft skin, all the while looking straight into his eyes, and I
drank that rich and filling blood that I had almost forgotten existed.  I
must have been very hungry because I kept on drinking and drinking until
Nick finally pulled his arm away.  "Leave some for the others," he said
sternly before turning around and walking over to Aj.

Aj just stared at him as if Nick had lost his mind, but instantly pulled
Nick's wrist to his mouth as well, drinking nervously.  He had a little
more self-control than me and stopped after about a minute.

By now, I felt refreshed and ready to continue our trek.  It was an amazing
feeling.  I didn't think I even needed any sleep.  I watched as Nick walked
over to Howie.  Howie gratefully and gently held Nick's arm and dug his
fangs into Nick's wrist.  He closed his eyes, as if relishing the moment
and he sucked slowly, tentatively.

At last, it was Kevin's turn.  I looked on in worry as Nick approached
Kevin, who had looked away, refusing the blood.  Nick then whispered
something to him, which I could not decipher.  Kevin continued to stare
away stubbornly, until after a few more moments and a few more convincing
words, Kevin grudgingly gripped Nick's arm and sucked for about half a
minute.

We all felt rejuvenated.  All of us . . . except Nick.  I could tell that
he was looking paler every minute.  It had seemed to me that we were more
of a burden than anything else.  And once again, I was afraid that he would
leave us behind.

Nick walked over to the fire we had made and lay down next to it.
"Tomorrow, we shall have reached the edge of the Murien Mountains.  Our
trek will be at an end after all.  You guys should rest.  It will be a big
day.  Not like today."


After having expunged that from his system, he quickly closed his eyes and
dozed off while the rest of us just sat around the fire.  His blood was
like a boost of sugar.  We all were too awake, too energized to sleep.  But
we had realized that it was not the case for him.  Nick looked, if
anything, too tired to continue that night.  Kevin, Aj, and Howie sat close
to Nick, cautiously looking around for anything dangerous that could
suddenly appear out of nowhere.  I, however, watched Nick's face as he
slipped into his deep sleep.

To my sadness, I saw only melancholy and worry in it.  He looked unsettled.
His features seemed to ache for relief, as if he had traveled too far, had
outlived his welcome.  I felt sorry for him then.  My thoughts wandered off
to the prophecy and I suddenly felt the unfairness of it all.  I wondered
about the nonsensical nature of this entire ordeal.  Nature has worked
wonders in my opinion.  Then why couldn't it work it's magic on Nick,
change his entire outlook on life.

Because the world didn't work that way.  Because destruction was always the
easier, more instinctive route.  Just as splitting an atom released energy,
so did destroying life.  In order to create it, energy had to be absorbed.
And goodness knows there was not enough power on this Earth to sustain
Nick's life.

I traced a wrinkled line on Nick's forehead.  It was the first time I had
noticed that his skin was starting to look less fair, his hair less bright
and more disheveled.  He no longer looked immortal, but very vulnerable.

He started shaking in his sleep, and to my amazement, all four of us--me,
Aj, Kevin and Howie had each tried to remove our shirts to cover him up.
Strange how despite all our suspicions, we still felt this inherent desire
to protect him.  Kevin had gotten to Nick first so the rest of us simply
stood there awkwardly, deciding whether to put our shirts back on.

And that was how we pretty much remained until the crack of dawn, when
there was a slight hint of sunlight signalling for us to start what was the
end of our trek.

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

I felt a warm hand gently shaking my body.  I opened my eyes, disappointed
to find that the hand belonged to Howie.  "Wake up, sleepyhead.  Time to
get ready."

I sat up, expecting to see Nick's disheveled figure.  Oddly but
surprisingly, he looked refreshed.  His skin fairer than ever, his eyes a
really rich lavender now.  Even his hair looked softer than before.  There
was a gleam in his eyes that radiated with hope.  His eyes would ever so
often widen as if a lost child seeing his mother.  He didn't wait for us as
he started off West.

Aj, Kevin, me and Howie all four took off after him, already accustomed to
this habit of his.  We knew not to talk so as to conserve our energy to
keep up with him.

Nick was not kidding when he said that today was worse than yesterday,
because I was constantly dodging obstacles right and left.  Nick spent less
time mothering us today as he devoted all his energy to plunging forward.
The soil kept on rearranging itself so that one wrong move would lead us
into an abyss or send us sprawling on the ground, bruised and bleeding.

The soil was now replaced by a strange rock that resembled obsidian, but
was far more slippery.  The air burnt like acid, forcing me to squint.  I
felt the gravitational field weigh heavily on my body and soul, making each
step more difficult.  The soles of my feet were burning like mad, but they
dared not stop in fear that they would just burst into flames.  We ascended
and ascended until I could not take it anymore.  And then, we started
descending and I sighed in relief, because we simply just slid down the
slope.  However, I encountered so many sharp pieces of rock jutting out of
nowhere that I nearly lost a limb on the downward slope had Nick not pulled
me out of the way.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally saw the ground level off.
All of us rolled down towards the stretch of flat land and I stopped with a
thud as I crashed into Aj.

"Dude, aim!" Aj snorted.

"Sorry that your butt is in the way," I replied sarcastically.

I got up, disoriented.  But it didn't take long to see the tip of the
volcano not far in the distance.  I traced the slope of the volcano to
where we were and realized that we were in the path if and when the lava
were to spill from the volcano.  I gulped, fearsome for all of us.

"Uh, Nick?  That volcano looks like it's going to erupt any minute," Kevin
stuttered.

Aj looked at Kevin exasperated.  "No kidding, Einstein."

Howie gasped from the extrenuous exercise it took to get this far.  "Guys,
if we continue West, we should have enough time to leave this volcano far
behind.  Until now, Nick had remained silent.

I looked to Nick a little disturbed by his quietness, surprised to see the
awe in his face.  That was when I recognized that look of yearning in his
face again.  He stood rooted in the ground, mesmerized by the looming
volcano that was spitting so much fire.

I felt my feelings unsettled by Nick's lack of fear at the entire
situation.  I walked up to him, sensing the change in his demeanor.  I
placed my hand around his arm.  "Nick?" I asked timidly.  "We should get
going before we don't have the chance to."  I nudged his arm pleadingly, a
sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as my thoughts started to clear.
My heart was getting heavy as I suddenly started to realize that Nick
perhaps had already reached his destination.

I shook my head obstinately.  No!  I'm going crazy from all the energy
expenditure during this trip.  My mind was being clouded by stupid,
senseless thoughts.  Nick was heading to the West to escape.  This isn't
his destination.  It couldn't be.  Once we left this volcano, we would all
be safe.

Nick swiftly turned his head in our direction and there was a sense of
inner peace in him.  His eyes look content as the lavender was replaced by
a midnight blue.  He nodded to the West.  His voice was unnervingly gentle.
"Like Howie said, if you keep on going West, the trees will become more
abundant.  The soil will become less deadly, the air less acrid.  Until you
encounter a stream that looks very fresh and clear.  Don't drink from it.
Just cross over it in the shallow areas.  Once you cross it, you'll be
safe."

I didn't fail to notice that he used 'you' instead of 'we'.  I felt myself
shaking from the sudden realization.  MY stomach was twisted into quite a
few knots as I began to despair.  Never in the past few weeks did I imagine
this type of ending to our trip.  This was not how I had intended it to be.
Everything was happening too fast, and Nick's words were biting me
mercilessly.  I shook my head desperately, the tears burning my eyes.  I
felt my jaw quivering, but only silence escaped my lips.

This was not happening.  Nick was not saying those words.  I was
hallucinating all of this.  Nick took a few steps backwards, towards the
volcano.  "I've reached the end of my trip."  He looked at us and laughed a
bitter laugh.

Kevin looked as shocked as I did, not trusting the words that were coming
out of Nick's mouth.  Aj gazed incredulously at Nick and verbalized what I
had so wanted to say.  "You are not f---ing serious!"  And he trembled from
desperation.  He cared!  He had cared for Nick all along!  Despite all our
talk about destroying Nick, we never once envisioned that his death would
materialize in front of us.

I object to all of this.  Like Nick had said a few days earlier, if we
continue past the volcano and escape the hot lava, he would be free.  He
would escape . . . and we could live there happily.

Only Howie remained frighteningly calm, eyeing Nick skeptically.  Damn it!
Why was he being so rational now!  Say something damn it.

My voice wavered, but it spoke forcefully.  "Nick . . . you don't know what
you're saying.  You're delusional.  That's a freaking volcano.  Hot lava is
not good!"

Nick shook his head, his eyes tracing my features.  "Eyes of lavender shall
mark our fate; behind sheer beauty lies evil's gaze; no friends, no love,
no peace, no home; there is no child worse than Darkness' own . . . "

My lips shook violently, but now Nick continued reciting what appeared to
be the second half of the poem.  His voice was calm, just like the rest of
his features.  "He whose body evil has claimed; can be Weakened by fire,
burnt by flames; and the Heir to the Darkness shall end His reign; beyond
the mountains of Murien."


Nick's eyes moistened.  "Is this not how it ends?"  He took another few
steps backwards as me, Aj and Kevin advanced.  "If you don't start heading
West now, you won't make it," Nick said, his voice now starting to waver.

"Why did you bring us with you then?" I felt my anger rise exponentially by
the second.  "How can you be so selfish?  Just because you wanted some
company so that you could make it here and then just desert us like that!"
I was bitter to no end.  My tears were falling freely now, and I didn't
care if I hurt Nick because he hurt me so bad.

Nick looked at me sadly.  "Do you regret now?"

I was stung by his statement.  Leave it to him to remind me of our little
conversation back in that cave.

Kevin had to grab me, to prevent me from collapsing right there.  Aj was
also wet with tears by now.  Only Howie . . . only Howie was the only one
who did not say a single word.

Nick was by now quite far from where we stood.  "I can't control it anymore
. . . this bad feeling inside me.  I feel like it's feeding on me every
second that I exist.  I feel so cold inside.  I can't control it anymore.
It feels so strong.  It feels so comforting to succumb to it.  If I didn't
have your presence to remind me of those things that I cherish most, I
would give in in a heartbeat."

Nick took a few large steps back, his eyes apologetic.  Then without
another word, he turned around and started running towards the volcano, his
steps desperate, his body shaking.  My feet suddenly found the strength to
support my body, but Kevin and Aj held me firmly in place, both shaking
with despair, but both taken by Nick's bold and honest confession.  I
screamed at the top of my lungs for Nick to stop.

We were so involved with our own desperation that we failed to notice Howie
slipping past us, his hand holding onto some golden object that I did not
recognize.  He chased after Nick with a look of determination on his face,
and suddenly, he didn't look like the Howie we knew.  His face was filled
with a malevolence neither I, Kevin nor Aj had seen before.  He moved
swiftly as he slowly, but surely closed the gap between Nick and him.  I
think Nick had sensed it as well because for one fleeting moment, he turned
his head to look.

Then Nick's eyes widened in some sort of recognition as he stared into
Howie's face.  He ran faster, confounding me, Kevin and Aj even more.  I
was completely clueless as to what the hell was going on . . . that was
until Howie morphed into . . . Vincent!!!!

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

ngclle@yahoo.com

Hope it wasn't too confusing for you!  I tried my best ;)