Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 05:17:45 EST
From: Morbddream@aol.com
Subject: Crimson Tears - 23

Disclaimer: If you are too young, or if homosexual themes offend you,
please leave. This is a work of complete fiction. It is not meant to imply
anything about the sexualities of any of the members of Nsync. Most likely
all of us authors only wish we knew the truth, anyway.

Note: Sorry about the delay on the last Chapter... I have no excuse. I just
got lazy, and didn't write for a while. I can't promise it won't happen
again. All I can do is promise to do my best to get this, and future
chapters out as quickly as possible.

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From 22:
	We all walked out of the room, out of the castle, out of the
town. We headed north until we came to the small port town Isaiah
mentioned. I recognized it immediately. "Luna." I whispered

******************************************************************************
Chapter 23:
	I couldn't believe I was back there. I looked around and saw the
familiar stone building.  It had been painted since then, though, and was
being used again. "I'll be right back." I whispered to Justin. I approached
the guard, and stopped in front of him. "Who might you be, young man?" I
could tell by his expression that he was a kind person. The look in his
eyes told me he didn't want to be there. "I'm Jacob. I just wanted to come
make sure this jail isn't being used for the same things it used to be." I
glared at him.  "I don't know what it used to be used for, but there are a
couple of criminals locked up inside."  I tried to look past him, but he
blocked my view. "Criminals? Are you sure they commited a crime?" I heard
footsteps behind me.

	I turned, and saw a group of soldiers. Behind them I saw my
friends. They were being restrained by some of the soldiers. "You look
awfully familiar." Croaked one of the soldiers.  "Yeah, he does. He looks a
lot like that elf that got away a few years back, huh?" I heard a few
snickers from inside the group. The one in front seemed to be the
leader. He took a step toward me. He leaned in close. His breath smelled of
rotten meat. "You won't get away this time." He whispered. I smirked, which
seemed to spark his fury. Something in his eyes clicked.  I saw movement
out of the corner of my eye. I raised my arm. His sword shattered on
impact.  "What the hell?" Muttered one of the soldiers.

	The man guarding the jail put a hand on my soldier. He whispered in
my ear. "You are the saviors, aren't you?" I slowly nodded, and turned my
attention back to the group of soldiers.  I saw one of them holding Gail's
face. I saw his tounge slide over her cheek. She looked at me, a glimmer in
her eye. "Jacob!" She sounded
helpless. "Anthony... He's... an... adult... now?"  A smile crossed my
face. I nodded, and watched intently. "I... was... just... checking..." Her
voice sounded faint. Her eyes suddenly flew open. "Because this mother
fucker is starting to piss me off!" She elbowed the man in the stomach and
turned to him. "You smell like shit, asshole!  Your breath is worse! I was
going to let you live until you put that disgusting thing on my face!  Now
I'm gonna kick your fuckin' ass!" She screamed. She launched herself at
him, scratching at his face. The rest of us just watched, amazed at her
outburst.

	His face was covered in blood. He was on the ground. Gail was
kicking him mercilessly.  With every kick she screamed a different
obsenity. Then she decided it was time to get her message across. "Don't
::kick:: you ::kick:: ever ::kick:: fucking ::kick:: touch ::kick:: me
::kick:: again!" With that last word, she drew her foot back as far as she
could, and let loose. I could hear the bones crunch under the impact. She
turned back to me, and smiled.  "I've been holding those in for too long!"
The rest of the soldiers were amazed at her power.  They absent mindedly
drew their swords, still looking at their fallen comrade. "We're gonna have
to kill you for that." Said their leader, looking at me. "Look, he's not
dead. If you start a fight with us, you all will be." I squeezed his
shoulder. "Just give us a ship, and we'll be on our way."






	"He's arrived!" A horde of small creatures was screeching as a
fluctuating beam pulsated into a throne. A loud moan could be heard as the
beam took shape. "Go to Malak! Now! He must know!" The beam had taken
shape, now, but remained unseen in the shadows. "Ahhhh! Has the time come
already?" The figure asked in a deep, demanding voice. "Yes, sire! They
have arrived at the port town. A small band of soldiers are going to
challenge them." The figured shifted.  "Good. I need the souls. I am still
weak. I wish to witness this. You!" It said, pointing at one of the
creatures. It pulled out a small, glowing ball. "Take this to the town!
Offer this gift to the soldiers! It is not enough to destroy them, but it
will slow them down." The creature flew up to the figure, and took the
ball. It bowed, and flew upward. It then sped toward Luna, holding the ball
tightly.





	The soldiers snickered. "You think you can beat us?" He pointed at
the barely living lump on the ground. "He was a new recruit. He was weak."
I sighed. "Fine. Have it your way." I drew back my hand, and smashed his
face. "Is that enough evidence? Please just leave us alone! We don't want
to have to kill you!" The soldiers looked nervous, but were determined to
fight.  I heard a giggle from above. I looked up and saw a familiar
creature. It swooped down, and landed in front of me. The soldiers had
released my friends and they gathered behind me. "Who leads this little
group?" Squeaked the imp. "I do." Said a man, stepping up. "With the death
of Richard, I am the leader." The creature giggled again. "Good. Good! My
master is already gaining strength. Join us! We are immortal. We cannot
die. If you join us, you will not die! Join us!"  The creature was
dancing. It displayed a small, glowing ball. I couldn't determine the
color.  It didn't seem to have one. "Take it! Take it! Salvation! It will
take away all of your pain!" The creature threw the ball to the groups new
leader, and leaped into the air.

	The soldier looked into the ball. He began shaking. "Ha. Ha ha." He
looked at me.  "Ha ha ha! It seems the grape is on the other plane, now. Ha
ha. It is mine. Mine! You shouldn't have ate the grape. Ha ha." He began
looking around for something. "Foofoo! Where are you?  Foofoo! The boat!
Don't you see it! Get on this boat, now! Ha ha. I'm your daddy, and I'm
telling you to get on that boat, now! Ha ha. Ha. Excuse me, Sir, I want my
grape. You ate my grape!  Please regurgitate that grape, and put it into my
little basket. Ha ha. Oh. My little globe.  Please change." The ball
flashed brightly. It changed into a small pill, no bigger than an imp's
eye. "Little pill. Oh, how I love you. Let me swallow you." He looked up at
me, and pointed. "I will get my grape! MY GRAPE! I will get it back!" He
swallow the tiny pill. He grabbed his stomach, and fell to the ground. The
rest of the soldiers did the same. Their bodies bulged. The skin exploded,
leaving hideous creatures behind. The leader stood, and looked around.
"You are the ones?" I stood, ready to attack. "That's it! Show me your
feeble power! Show me why my master wants you dead!"

	The creature attacked, snapping it's huge jaws at me. It stood
tall. Taller than most of the buildings in town. A thick, green slime
dripped from it's razor sharp fangs. A thick mane of fur lay on top of it's
head. It lunged again, but hit nothing but air. The rest of the soldiers
were fighting my friends, but not getting anywhere.

	I drew my hand back, drawing power into my body as I did so. I
thrusted it toward the creature. A powerful beam of energy shot out of my
palm, bursting into the creatures body.  My fist followed, finishing the
hole the beam started. It's blood burned like acid. I quickly pulled my arm
back, shaking the blood off. "What the hell are you?" I screamed. It just
laughed. "I am but a servant to my master. You cannot destroy me." His
wound was smaller.  It slowly closed, not showing a single sign of ever
being a wound. The rest of the creatures had been destroyed. I looked back
to the creature in front of me. He was outnumbered, and surrounded, but he
didn't seem to care. Justin had changed into a weretiger. He let out a
deep, barely audible growl. Joey's arms had changed. They were solid
stone. His fingers ended in sharp points. Chris's body was covered in a
deep blue armor. A cold mist rose from the armor, vanishing in the warm
air. The familiar whirl winds danced around him, now reaching his
waist. Lance was holding a spear. The spear seemed to capture the light,
and throw it out in every direction brighter than the sun itself.  Both
Vincent, and JC were engulfed in smokeless fire. The fire seemed to dance
around their bodies, warding off the mist from Chris' armor that reached
them. Gail stood, ready to leap at the creature. Anthony was glowing
white. I wondered what his power was before turning my attention to
Alexander. He was gripping a sword. The sword had a faint, black glow to
it. The glow suddenly intensified. The black glow trailed off like
smoke. Luke was standing, with his eyes tightly shut. The creatures that
they had killed had changed back into their human forms, and were standing
behind him, staring blankly toward the creature.

	Luke nodded, and the soldiers stumbled toward the creature. They
slashed at it with their swords, slicing it's light brown flesh. Lance
jumped into the air, disappearing momentarily. He burst into view from
above the creature, his spear pointed down. The spear pierced the skull.
The monster screamed in pain as Joey ran toward it, pushing his arms into
it's chest. When his arms left the creatures body, Chris dashed toward him,
the whirl winds following closely. He stopped, suddenly, holding his hand
toward the creature. A bright blue spike emerged from his palm. It flew
toward the creature, piercing it's side. An icyh mist flowed from the
wound, freezing part of the creatures body. Justin jumped into the air,
slashing at the creature before landing. Deep slash marks gushed blood from
the creatures face. The flame on both Vincent, and JC's bodies seemed to
merge between them. When the flame had left both their bodies, they seemed
to push some invisible object toward it. The fire flew toward him,
exploding on impact. Half of the creatures body was badly burned, some
flesh missing from various parts of it's body. Gail flew toward the
creature, her leg extended. It connected with a loud crack, crushing part
of the creatures skull. Alexander Lunged toward the beast, piercing just
below the heart. When he withdrew his sword, the glow was gone. It was in
the wound, keeping it from closing. I walked toward the monster, stopping
inches from it. I held both hands out, palms facing the monster. From one
hand, the familiar spear of fire began forming. In the other a bright ball
of light formed. The spear flowed out of my hand, and into the ball which
had moved directly between my eyes, a few inches from my face. The ball
flashed, and changed. The seemingly harmless ball flew upward, changing
into a thin beam of light. I stepped back, as did everyone else. Alexanders
sword had prevented all of the wounds we had inflicted from closing.  The
monster was kneeling, holding the wound under his heart. A dim sparkle
could be seen above monster. It looked at me. "Damn you." It muttered. The
beam of light struck this monster with the force of a thousand charging
bull demons. It's body, what was left of it, lay lifeless in the middle of
the town for a few seconds before vanishing.

	"I expected much less from you mortals." An unseen creature spoke
menacingly. A black ball of light hovered above our heads. "Your powers are
strong, but not strong enough." It snickered. "Who, or what are you?" I
directed my question at the ball. "I am Altimus." It sounded as if it had a
huge reputation, and that we should knoe the name. "I've never heard of
you."  I said, smirking at the ball. "Jacob, don't anger him." Celeste
walked up behind me, watching the ball intently. "That would be a very bad
Idea." Stated Isaiah, stopping beside me. "Who is is?" I asked. "Altimus
would be the opposite of Isaiah." Celeste stated calmly. "As evil as Isaiah
is good. As powerful, too. They can both destroy anything, with the
exception of each other, and the creator." Gail gasped. "Altimus? I thought
his name was Lucifer?" Celeste turned to Isaiah. "No, that would be a
family member of his. Lucifer went to their realm with the protection of
Altimus. That's why we sent the man they know as God." Lance looked
confused.  "I thought that old man at the temple..." Isaiah cut him
off. "No, wrong person. Most of what you know about God is true. Were you
told you were meeting God? Nowhere near it. God is a name, here. A symbol
in your realm. He keeps the balance there, because he is as powerful as
Lucifer.  God is my brother. Lucifer is his." He pointed at the ball with a
sneer. "How rude!" Screeched the ball. "Carrying on like that. Ignoring me!
I should destroy you all, now!" Isaiah laughed.  "You know the deal,
Altimus! If you touch these mortals, your powers are gone!" The ball
shifted. "If yout ouch any of my servants, yours are. Same with all the
gods, witht the exception of two. Of course I know the deal!" The ball
shifted again, and disappeared. "Goodbye, mortals.  We will probably meet
again, soon." The voice faded. I turned to Celeste. "With the exception of
two?" I asked, knowing who it was. "Yes, it's true. Only Malak, and I are
allowed to touch servants of the opposite side. That's why he attacked
you. We're also the only opposite powers that are allowed to fight each
other. Thanks to you." She smiled at me. "It's complicated, child.  Don't
try to understand it."

	"It's time for you to go. There is a ship there, the captain will
comply. Oh, and Jacob. The prisoners in that jail were placed there because
they are elves. Just as you were."  Isaiah smiled, and vanished. Celeste
did the same, waving as she did. My gaze turned to the jail.  I walked
slowly to the guard and stopped in front of him. "Move." I said simply. He
did. He had a huge grin on his face. I grabbed the handle of the door and
pulled. The sound of metal bending screeched through the town. The creaking
roused the elves inside. They rushed to the door. The lock on the door
snapped, and the door flew open. "Go home, my friends. You don't belong
here."  The elves ran past me with lightning speed. When they disappeared,
I turned back to the building.  I touched one of the walls, and slid my
hand across it as I walked toward the docks. My friends follwed, as well as
the guard.

	A huge explosion could be seen from the dock. Pieces of the jail
splashed into the water.  "Never again." I whispered as I stepped onto the
ship.