Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 22:31:19 +0100
From: Tim <shiningstar@oceanfree.net>
Subject: Powers That Be 4

I know, I know. This chapter is *really* short, but it brings to a
conclusion a sequence of events and I don't want to go any further in
this chapter.

	I hope that you're all enjoying the series so far. Because I know
I'm enjoying writing it! If you have anything, anything at all, that you
want to say to me then e-mail me - shiningstar@oceanfree.net . I really
love hearing from people so PLEASE E-MAIL ME!!! Anyway. Want
to thank Sher 'cause she's a help. Without her encouragement I don't
know if I would have posted my first story - 'Shining Star' and I hadn't
posted that then I doubt that I would have posted this. So everyone say
Thank you Sher! Tim, I haven't carried out my threat yet, but I promise
you, soon. Thanks to you too! And, yes, I'm a *very* funny man! To
everyone else who's e-mailed me - thank you! Like I said above, I love
getting e-mail and it encourages me to get the chapters out quicker.
What else... hmmm... yeah, read my other creation - 'Shining Star'.

	I'm too tired to think of something funny to write here, so - I
don't know Nsync, nor do I bear any affiliation to them. All that is
written here is direct from a twisted mind and is fiction. Please don't try
this at home. If you're too young then I think you're supposed to go
somewhere else...

This carries on directly from the last chapter.

--------------------------------

	"True." Said JC reflectively. "Thank you. You don't know how
grateful I am."

	"We are." Corrected Lance. This was embarrassing, having
them say things like that.

	"It was nothing. Besides it was JC who told me what to do, so I
think that you should be thanking him and, don't forget, if it wasn't for
you I wouldn't know how to use the power that I have."

	JC sighed. "That's not quite true."

	"What do you mean?" I asked.

	"Ok, I guess it's time to tell you everything there is to know.
But I'll cut it down for you, ok?"

	"Sure."

	"I'm not going to start at the start, I'll tell you first something
relevant to you. Pass me a glass of water would you?" He took a sip
from the glass that Chris passed him. "Thanks. You know that you're
what we've called an undecided, right? Well, that means that you've got
the choice between Black and White magic. But, because the true
undecideds have such power, their loyalty is fought over. Great wars
have been waged because of such power. The last one was fought in
Atlantis. The war sunk the continent, places like the Bermuda triangle
have also hosted great displays of might, and many die even today as the
echoes of that magic reach across the centuries."

	I whistled in appreciation. "Indeed." Continued JC. "What I'm
saying is that soon a time will come when you are asked to make the
choice, and the two sides will try to convince you to join them."

	"But I don't know of any mysterious battles. And I thought that
it was hard to cover up one person's memory, so I don't see how you
could block the memories of the world." I said.

	"That's the point Tom. JC isn't talking about recently. He's
talking about things that happened millennia ago. Before recorded
history, in most cases. And in others, like the Bermuda triangle, America
hadn't been discovered then."

	"That's why this is so important. Because if war is fought, it
will affect countless millions, and expose people to unknown evils."
Added Josh.

I shuddered; I couldn't bear to think that I might be responsible
for death on such a scale. "It's simple then. I don't have any interest in
Black Magic so I've already made my choice. White Magic."


	"I wish it was that simple. But there are certain rituals that must
be performed. Your loyalty will be tested before admission to either of
the Magic's and if there is any doubt..."

	"War." Finished Lance.

	"But you've been teaching my to use my power." I said
questioningly.

	"Not really. I told you that everyone could do basic things, like
the fireballs. Those things don't require spells. But the more powerful
acts do."

	"Ok. So what you're saying is that I've got to prove my loyalty.
How hard can it be?"

	JC grimaced. "According to the texts, pretty hard. They crawl
through your every memory. Trying to find anything to indicate that you
might betray them in the future. They commit you to near-impossible
physical tasks to see if you'll do them. Keep in mind that this hasn't
been done in the past couple of thousand years, they'll be experimenting
with new techniques."

	"Lovely."

	"Not really. Anyway, let's get onto the other stuff. This time I
will start from the start. When the world first came into existence there
was a visible field of magic. Plants thrived on it, and later so did the
animals, that's how the dinosaurs evolved and grew to be so big. But,
when man came around the time of abundant magic was almost at an
end. The humans - those that could - channelled the power and used it in
a way that the world had never seen before. Since then the power itself
has evolved and now mainly exists inside of people like us." Josh gulped
down some water before continuing. "Since the early days the council
has been set up to deal with major problems and things like the
undecided. They also control the teaching and training of mages, as well
as co-ordinating everyone against the opposition." JC seemed to be
finished.

	"That reminds me. We're going to have to report what
happened tonight to the council. I think they'll agree that this is more
then a once off thing. It seemed to have been too well planned." Said
Lance.

	"I agree. We're really going to have to watch our backs from
now on. I don't want anyone going off by himself, including you Tom.
He said he didn't know who you were, but I don't like the timing of
this." Ordered JC.

	"Especially since Drayn has threatened you." Said Lance,
reminding JC.

	"That's right. I'm going to have to include that in the report.
This is not going to be fun. They're going to send some goons out to
question us. That'll be fun."

	"This sounds like a bad episode of Buffy!" I joked, trying to
make the situation less tense. JC made a face.

	"I'd love to meet the person that spilt *that* secret."

	"You mean she's real?" I was stunned.

	"Oh sure, they got a lot of the details wrong in the programme,
but still."

	"This just gets weirder and weirder." I commented.

	"You think *this* is weird? You're the one who can throw
fireballs and read minds!" Laughed Chris.

	"You know what I mean." I said, laughing with him. But it
didn't stop me from throwing a cushion at him. An all out pillow fight
quickly followed. The door opened and Justin shuffled in, wearing only
a hotel dressing gown and a pair of slippers. Without looking at anyone
he went over to a chair near the television and started flicking through
the channels. The others exchanged glances and then JC spoke.

	"How are you Justin?"

	"I'm fine." Replied Justin. JC sprang up and went over to
Justin, crouching down in front of him.

	"Justin, if you need to talk we're all here for you. You know
that. But you can't pretend that nothing happened, and you can't hide
away from us in the same room!"

	Justin sighed. "You're right." He turned to face the group of us.
"I know that you're there for me. I just don't think that I can talk about it
right now. The feeling... being so helpless..." A solitary tear rolled down
his cheek and he wiped it off. "Thank you Tom. If you hadn't have been
there..."

	"It's nothing Justin. I just hope that you'll be there when I need
you!" He smiled at that.

	"You can count on it!" He said. Then JC sat up on the armrest
of the chair and started talking quietly to him.

	"So, Tom. How did you know?" Asked Lance.

	"Know what?"

	"How did you know that you could still use your powers? You
haven't learnt how to 'feel' with your magic yet, I know that." He
explained.

	"JC told me." JC looked up at the mention of his name.

	"Told you what?"

	"That I still had my powers, that I could still use them."

	"No I didn't." He said, confused.

	"Yes you did. I looked straight at you and you said it to me.
The other guy was busy with that spell and you just said it to me. Don't
you remember?" I asked, seeing the confused look on his face.

	"None of us had our powers, so I couldn't have, remember? But
I was thinking about it though." After a pause he continued. "Are you
telling me that you read my mind?"

	"I don't think I can. I can't feel you now." I replied.

	"That's because we've all got mental protection spells in place,
to make sure that no one tries to tamper with our minds, and you've had
no training, so you shouldn't even be able to feel those spells... but then,
you shouldn't be able to read my mind at all."

	"I haven't felt anyone else's mind at all... wait! If you've got
these spells to protect yourselves, and I've been around no one else for a
couple of days since you started showing me how to use my powers..."

	"You wouldn't know if you were telepathic! Here! I'll let down
the spells that protect my mind." I instantly felt his presence in the back
of my mind, the way it had been when we were in the room that
cancelled magic and a single thought repeating in his mind. Can you
hear this? He was saying telepathically.

	"Yes!" I replied. "I could hear you!"

	"Well, it explains how you were able to knock *him* out
anyway!" JC must have reactivated the spells because I was no longer
able to feel him in my mind.

	Chris whistled in admiration. "Telepathy. So soon? That's
fucking amazing. How long did it take us Josh?"

	"Three or four weeks, just to be able to talk to each other." He
answered.

	No one said anything for a couple of minutes.

	"Anyway, we've got a long day tomorrow. We've got an
interview with the local radio station at 11, followed by a stint in the
studio's, and then we've got our last concert before we move on, so I
suggest that everyone gets to sleep now." Said Lance. I glanced at my
watch and saw that it was about 5 in the morning.

	"Good idea. I'm bushed." I said, getting up to go to my room.
We said our good nights to each other and then went back to our own
rooms. I crawled under the covers and turned off the lights. Not five
minutes had passed when I heard a soft knock on the door. Groaning, I
got up to answer it. It was Justin.

	"Can I sleep in here tonight?"

	"Sure." I said, not asking for any reasons. I think that he'd gone
through as much as he'd gone through that night you deserve not to be
asked why you'd prefer company. I went back over to the double bed
that I'd been sleeping in. There were two. I got back under the covers
and closed my eyes. Through my eyelids I saw Justin close the door, the
light stopped pouring in, and a moment later felt him lift up the covers
and slide into my bed. I mentally shrugged my shoulders and, turning
over, fell asleep.

	Lance smiled from in between his lover's arms and also fell
asleep.

---------------------------

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		Talk to ya,

			Tim.

				shiningstar@oceanfree.net