Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2006 17:42:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gay Writer <gaywriter72@yahoo.com>
Subject: Earth Reborn: Chapter 5 - The Dawn

The following is a complete work of fiction.

Any resemblance between the characters and any real life person is
completely coincidental.  Please do not copy or distribute the story
without the author's permission.

Disclaimer:

The following story contains erotic homosexual situations.  If it is
illegal for you to read this please leave now.

***  This is a completely revised version of the original story...  If
you are lost or confused please read it from the beginning in its
entirety.



Chapter 5 			Embracing The Dawn



       When I opened my eyes I could see that only an hour or so had
passed.  The stars had barely moved in the sky.  It wasn't Bransen's
fault.  It wasn't Briar's fault, and it wasn't Kelay's fault.  I
suppose I should be grateful for his intrusion that night.  Had Bransen
not been so infatuated with Kelay I would never have been born.  Kelay
should have noticed Bransen, but when you're life is surrounded by
those that never age, it doesn't seem out of the ordinary when someone
else doesn't as well.  I searched back in my mind and to Kelay's
memories and there had always been that suspicion.  Kelay had locked it
away and dismissed it.

       It scared me to think of the carnage Bransen had witnessed over
the past 1600 years.  I suppose when so many die around you so quickly,
they don't notice you're the one that lives.  He became a permanent
fixture as much as the building had; watching people step in and out of
his life.  The only constant had been Kelay, and now he was gone and
here within me at the same time.

       I stared at the star lit sky lost in thought.  Emotions take so
much out of you and I had been on a whirl wind tour these last few
days.  I had been acting like some ignorant child and I was ashamed of
myself.  I knew Bransen lie there next to me lost in his own mind as
well.

       "So, what do we do now?" I asked snapping him out of his
thoughts.

       "We fight." He said quietly.

       "No... I mean what do WE do.  I know you care for me, though I
can't say for sure if it is the part of me that is Kelay, or if it is
me alone.  It confuses me.  I know I have his memories, but I certainly
haven't been acting like myself or him these last few days.  It feels
so wrong to me to feel something for someone else so soon after Vale's
death, but I'm not who I was then.  I feel like I've lost myself.  It's
becoming harder to sort out which memories are mine and which are
Kelay's" I said somewhat frustrated and confused.

       Sitting up and shifting to face Bransen I continued, "I don't
want to walk back into that complex not knowing who I am.  We cannot
afford any more chaos than what we already have.  Everyone is going to
be going through a lot of changes, and they are going to be looking to
you for leadership."

       Bransen lifted himself from the cool stone and shifted then to
sit facing me.  "Who are you?" he asked staring into my eyes.

       "I'm Khore!" I said quickly... but paused... "and Kelay, and I
guess partly you." Quickly falling back into the confusion of my mind.

       "You aren't me." Bransen said a bit too fast.  "I'm here in front
of you.  Who are you?" he asked me again.

       I was feeling the frustration hit me. "I'm Khore! I think.  I
don't know anymore."

       "You told me once just a couple of weeks ago; that our emotion is
what builds and maintains our soul.  That it is our pain, joy, fear,
and triumph that molds us into who we are and who we will become.  How
has that changed in truth from what it was a few days ago?" Bransen
asked me.

       I sat pondering his question and finally spoke.  "A few days ago
when I spoke those words, I had only the memories and none of the
emotion or feeling of them.  Kelay knew..."

       "NO...you knew." Bransen interrupted.  "I think that is part of the
problem.  You continue trying to keep his memories and experiences
separate from your own.  You need to reconcile your mind."

       "Now who is speaking like an old man?" I asked smiling at him.

       He was right though.  I had been separating us out ever since the
transformation and I was losing the struggle.  The realization was
moving through me.  I am Khore.  All of the memories, the feelings,
it's who I am now.  I am Khore.  Kelay was a part of me, not separate
from me and not something to keep locked away like some file on a
computer to be accessed at my leisure.  We had merged, and I let the
full of it enter my mind during the transformation, but I hadn't
accepted it.  I had been subconsciously rejecting it like some splinter
in my finger too deep to dig out.

       The realization was coming at me in waves now.  I am Khore... I
thought to myself.  These memories are mine now.  They are me.  All of
the good and the bad, but it was now me.

       "Hey!  Don't be going all supernova on me now... the MFM doesn't
work out here." He said seeing my eyes begin to light up.

       "Oh sorry... lets go inside." I said as I stood.

       He stood and we began to walk toward the entrance to the complex.
Bransen opened what looked like a rock that exposed an access panel.
Placing his hand on the imager, a weak light moved from his fingertips
toward his wrist in a quick scan and the door opened.

       "You know... I really hate you some times." I said to his
astonished face.  "But I think I love you too." A smile crept across
both our faces as we entered the complex.

       The imitation rock face of the door slid back into place and we
continued past the guards I had frozen earlier.

       I released their bodies and made my apologies.  They were less
than pleased at having been so easily subdued.

       "It won't happen again.  I'm sorry." I apologized to them.

       They gave us a wide birth being I was with Bransen.  Had Bransen
not been there I think they would have shot me without a second
thought.

       "We should probably go back to the conference room." Bransen
suggested.

       "Ahh shit, I forgot.  They're still sitting there aren't they?" I
questioned knowingly as I cringed.

       We made our way to the lift and back to conference room three on
level five.  Doc was sitting there tapping a nervous foot on the floor
not knowing that to do with his current predicament.  I hadn't frozen
him and he was NOT happy.  I had unknowingly left him to tend to six
statues.  Our team was frozen in place in their seats.

       "My apologies!" I said as I released them all sounding as timid
as I could manage.

       "Ohh oh ohh!!! I gotta pee!" came from Sweed as he jumped up and
raced out of the room knocking his chair backwards to the floor.

       The room was quiet as they looked at me.  Some with rage, some
with confusion, and some with sympathy.  I hung my head and waited for
Sweed to return.

       After some time Sweed bounded back in like the giant graceful
lummox he was, up righted his chair, and took his place again in his
chair.  You could see he had reservations about sitting there again
after his torment but he sat anyway.  Who the hell goes to a meeting
having to piss??

       "My apologies", I broke the silence.  "Now... does anyone else have
any other surprises they'd like to share with the group before we
continue?" I prayed no one would speak.

       Twist spoke up almost immediately.  "Rift has an ass hair
problem, Sweed likes to play with dolls, and Raven has a third Nipple!"
he blurted out.

       "They're action figures!" Sweed protested!

       "I do not have an ass hair problem!" Rift said almost too
defiantly.

       "It's a fucking mole damnit!" yelled Raven.

       The room paused only a moment before everyone burst into
uncontrollable laughter.  Damn you Twist and thank you at the same time
I thought.

       "Ohhh please!!!!" Twist continuted, "It looks like two raccoons
fighting to escape your pants when you walk.  I love my little raccoons
though." Twist retorted looking lovingly at Rift as we all laughed some
more.

       "Well then" Bransen started as the laughter died down, "Now that
we have all of that out of the way... let's get some rest.  We have a
long day ahead of us tomorrow."

	"Neek I'd like you to stay for a moment please." I said glancing
in his direction.  Little else but rage was returned from his eyes.

	Turning to Bransen, "Would you mind waiting for me outside?"  He
answered with a nod and he and the rest exited the conference room.

	Once we were alone I looked at him.  "I did not kill Chance, and
I'm sorry for your loss." I said quite flatly.

	"Yes you did," he hissed.  "You may not have pulled the trigger,
but you killed him just the same.  It is because of you we were on that
mission, and it is because of you he is gone."

	"Don't lay that bullshit on me." I spat back. "He chose to go on
that mission.  You didn't protect him and he died.  It would be as much
your fault as anyone's." I saw him blanch from the words as much as if
I had slapped him across the face.

	I could see the anger in his face as his jaw clenched threatening
to break his own teeth.

	"Go ahead..." I goaded him.  "Take the knife from your ankle sheath
and kill me.  Ram it in my chest until your muscles cramp.  It won't
bring him back, and you'll still be alone.  Or.. ", I paused calming a
little, "you could aim your anger where it belongs.  The Thorens killed
Chance.  Not me, not you, or anyone in this complex.  You need to move
on Neek.  You waste your time and energy." I said turning to make my
way to the door.

	"What the hell do you know about loss you freak!" he screamed
across the room.

	Spinning around I sent him sailing out of his chair and slammed
his body against the wall dangling there some several inches from the
floor.  My mind blasted the table against the wall to the right and it
burst into a thousand splinters as I made my way toward him.

	"Loss?" I yelled.  "Because of the THORENS I lost my love, my
unborn child, and my entire village.  Don't think because you hurt that
you are the only one who has ever felt pain or that no one has felt it
as sharply." I yelled as I made my way closer to him sending chairs and
anything else in my way crushing into either wall.

	"They're gone now." I said fighting back the tears.  "I can't
change that and neither can you." I turned and released him and walked
back through the path I had made towards the door.  I could sense him
reaching for his knife and felt it leave his hand. He threw it in his
despair.  I grunted with the impact stumbling forward feeling the blade
grinding against bone as it plunged into my right shoulder blade.  I
turned my head to see the horror on Neek's face at what he had just
done.

	"Khore!" he started toward me and stopped. "I didn't mean to." He
said through his tears.  "I'm sorry!"

	"So am I." I said as I reached back and pulled the blade out from
my shoulder and tossed it to the floor.  The blue light had already
started working from inside me to close the wound before I even made it
to the door.  It hurt like hell, but it wasn't fatal and soon it would
be just another memory.

	"Dusty has feelings for you Neek.  You shouldn't waste so much
energy on hate.  Get some rest... we've got training in the morning."
With that I opened the door to see Bransen waiting for me.

	Eyeing the destruction in the room he seemed somewhat relieved to
see we were both alive until he noticed the blood that had stained my
shoulder.    Glancing at the knife on the floor he knew what had
happened and rushed over to check my injury.

	"What the hell!" he exclaimed spinning me slightly to check my
wound.  There was none, just my torn shirt, the blood stained fabric
where the knife had entered, and an inch long light pink scar.

	"Everything is Fine Bransen.  We just had a little talk."  And
with that I made my way to the lift.

	"You coming?" I asked looking back at him.

	Bransen stood there looking from me and then back to Neek.  I
turned and continued to the lift hearing Bransen's steps jog toward me.

	"What the hell was that all about?" he asked me as I pressed the
call button.

	"You don't know?" I asked as the doors opened and we entered the
lift.

	"Neek wanted to kill me.  He blamed me for Chance's death." I
explained.

	"But you weren't even there!" Bransen said in my defense.

	"No, but you were there because of me.  Grief seldom accompanies
reason.  I think he's okay now.  A little shaken, but he should be
fine." I said calmly as I pressed the '30' button.

	"You're alright with this aren't you?  That he tried to kill
you!?" he asked in his frustration.

	"If he had wanted to kill me, he would have aimed better.  He
just wanted me to hurt.  And it did hurt.. like a bitch!" I replied
smiling at him.

	"I don't get you Khore.  Tomorrow I'm going to bust his ass... He
won't see the light of day for a decade!" He insisted.

	"Let him be Bransen.  He's already punished himself enough."

	We stood in the lift in silence until the doors opened.  We
exited the lift and started down the hallway toward our quarters.

	"Could I ask you a favor?" I said looking over to Bransen.

	"Sure anything!" he replied looking back at me.

	"Uhh... would you mind keeping me company tonight?  I don't want to
sleep alone." I muttered embarrassed.

	A smile crept across his lips as he nodded.

	"Sleep... I said sleep!  We'll discuss other things later." I said
feeling the heat rise off my face as we made it to my door.

	It opened as I pressed my hand against the entry scanner and we
entered with the door closing behind us.  I stripped off my shirt
pulling it up over my head.  Finally escaping the tangle of cloth I saw
him doing the same.  Blushing I turned away from him catching him
looking at me as much as I was him.

       I practically ran into the bathroom to relieve myself and keep my
eyes from him.  Either I was moving extremely fast, or he was
deliberately tormenting me because when I came back out he was still
shirtless showing off his taut muscled chest and abs.  He went toward
the bathroom after I made my way to the right side of the bed forcing
us to brush against each other chest to chest.  I was getting ready to
remove my pants when I realized I hadn't any undergarments on.  I never
wore them.  Instead I untied the knot at the top and loosened the
laces.  I climbed into bed rolling onto my right side.  Damn he was
hot.. I was now more than glad that I was facing away from him and
under the covers or I would have embarrassed myself.

	After coming back out from the bathroom Bransen finished
undressing, and I was too afraid to look to see just exactly 'how much'
he had undressed for fear of being caught.  I strongly suspected by the
amount of clothing I heard hit the floor; that he had taken off more
than just his shirt.

	Suddenly I heard a giggle and glanced over just as he dove into
the bed practically knocking me out.  He had nothing on!  He quickly
climbed over the top of the blankets and gathered them around him self
as he situated on his left side behind me.

	"What are you doing?" I asked as he reached to shut off the
lights.

	"Turning off the lights.  Aren't you ready to sleep?" He asked.

	"Not that you goof.  What are you doing facing that way?  Turn
around here!" I almost demanded.  There was a long quiet moment before
he spoke.

       "Uhh... I probably shouldn't." he said.

       Chuckling I said "Having some... control issues are we?" I jabbed
my elbow into his back.

       He bounded onto his other side reaching around me and grabbing my
predicament!  A wrestling match ensued.  "Seems to me you're having a
bit of a problem of your own!" He said as he gave my cock a rough
squeeze!

       "Hey!" I squealed!

       He scrambled climbing on top of me and now had my arms pinned by
his knees under the blankets tickling me mercilessly as his quite
impressive cock was aimed straight at my face.  I looked, but couldn't
control myself as I was in spasms from the relentless barrage of pokes
and prods making me laugh hysterically.

       Between breaths and shrieks I managed to get out "Two can play
that game" and he instantly stopped attacking my sides and moaned as I
raced him toward orgasm with my mind.  Struggling I got an arm loose
and pushed him over onto his back as he exploded into the air shooting
all over his chest and face grunting a deep satisfaction.

       "You Cheated!" panting he started to protest and grinned.  "I
think I like it when you cheat."

       "Okay go clean up and get to sleep." I said chuckling fully aware
of the mess I had in my own pants.

       He climbed off of me and went to the bathroom.  As he was
cleaning up I removed my pants and used them to swab up the mess that I
had made, then covered back up and pitched my pants to the corner.
Bransen came out of the bathroom, and this time he didn't launch into
bed.  Instead, he was giving me a nice view of himself, his powerful
thighs brought him toward the bed; which were separated by a very
impressive cock and balls.  Time to sleep damnit!

       As he climbed into the bed I flipped off the light.  He scooted
in close to me and I could hear the intake of his breath as he realized
I too was naked.  Pulling his arm over me I snuggled back into him
partially for the comfort of it, and partially to torment him.

       "Thanks Bransen".  I said smiling in the dark.  "If I wake up
pregnant, I'm gonna kick your ass!" I said with a chuckle.  I enjoyed
the feel of his chest as it expanded and contracted against my back and
the soft tickle his breath made on the back of my neck.

       I woke the next morning to the sound of water running in the
bathroom.  Bransen had gotten up before me apparently and was taking a
shower.  I lay for a few minutes there waiting for the haze of sleep to
leave my mind before sitting up and letting the blankets fall to my lap
hiding my morning excitement.  With any luck I would be under control
by the time he finished.  I leaned against the wall feeling its cool
surface give me a slight shiver.

       The door opened and out stepped Bransen naked and in all his
glory making absolutely NO effort to cover himself, and what little
control I had a second before, was now gone.  He flexed and stretched
his muscles lewdly in front of me.

       He was getting the best of me and I had to turn the tables.

       "Thank the gods! I've got to pee!" I said whipping my covers off
of me revealing my nine hard inches.  I slid off the mattress and faced
Bransen.  He eyes seemed to widen and I think he stopped breathing.  I
stretch my arms out long and slow arching my back pointing even more in
his direction grunting along the way.  I looked over to Bransen to see
his gaze completely locked on my groin.

       "Don't mind that. " I said shaking my hips a little before
walking toward him.  "I'll get it under control soon enough", I said
with a slight grin as he finally broke eye contact with my cock and
looked me in the eyes.

       As I approached I gave him a little tug to bring him closer and
gave him a light kiss on the lips.

       "Morning" I said flashing my most decadent smile and made my way
into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.

       Point for me I thought as I turned on the water and grabbed a
fresh towel.  I washed up and took matters into my own hands to get the
raging monster under control and then after blotting dry finally made
my way back into the bedroom.

       Bransen was sitting on the end of the bed stealing glances at my
now limp meat.

       "Serves you right you know" I said seeing him jump from the
unexpected words.

       "Huh?  What do you mean?" he looked at me in levels as he asked.

       "It serves you right for coming out of the shower looking that
damn good knowing what kind of affect it was going to have on me." I
giggled.

       He blushed and smiled as he watched me dress.  "Well..I like to
tease" he said grinning.

       Opening the wardrobe keeping my legs straight I leaned forward
doubling almost in half to get my shoes giving him a very intimate few
of my ass.  "Oh?" I paused... "I wouldn't know what you're talking
about." I burst into laughter as I starting moving through the clothes
finding something to wear.

       "OKAY! OKAY!" he said resting his hands in his lap.  "I get your
point" he grinned at me.

       "No... but maybe someday if we're both lucky," I said over my
shoulder as I found a nice pair of deep blue lace up pants and green
half sleeve shirt.  I dressed and sat down on the end of the bed beside
him.

       Leaning into him I asked "So... ready for breakfast? I'm
starving!!"

       "Now that you mention it, so am I.  Let's go." He said hopping up
off the bed.

       We exited my room and took the lift to level eleven exiting as
the doors opened with their familiar grind and thud.  The cafeteria was
more of an assembly line of unhappy servers and semi conscious patrons.
We made our way through the make shift buffet.  I had gotten a cheese
omelet egg whites only, and wheat toast, while Bransen had what looked
like half of a dead cow teetering on his plate.

       "How can you possibly eat that much so early in the morning...?" I
gaped at his tray as we made our way to an empty table.

       Seating ourselves I was still in awe of the mound of food he had
stacked on his tray.  "How do you eat that much and stay thin???" I was
completely at a loss.

       "You said it yourself.  We are now as we will always be." He
replied with a grin before using his fork and violently stab a slab of
meat.

       We started our meal as I noticed the occasional stare from the
corner of my eye on either side of us.  I guess I had made quite a
spectacle of myself in the last few days.  I suppose it was going to
take a while for everyone to adjust, and most of them hadn't heard the
half of it yet, though I could feel it surging through them.  They felt
different, better, but didn't know why, and now wasn't exactly the time
to tell them.  They would all be notified by their instructors as they
trained in their classes.

       Sweed, Rift, Raven, Twist and Neek entered the cafeteria looking
as tired as I had felt when I first opened my eyes.  I watched them
move through the line and as they were getting ready to find a place to
sit and I waved them over.

       "What are you doing?!" Bransen whispered in a panic!

       "I'm inviting them over here... what the hell does it look like I'm
doing?" I looked at him wondering if he had suddenly gone crazy.

       "We don't usually eat together." He whispered loudly to me.

       "Why not?! I asked.

       My wave had gotten their attention but they all stood frozen like
the field mouse seeing the owl swooping down upon it.

       "HEY!" I yelled.... "OVER HERE!" I waved again.

       I almost laughed.  It looked like both Bransen and they were
ready to shit themselves.

       "I command these men!" he said quickly before they got too close.

       "These are friends.  Someone who keeps YOUR ass alive is more
than welcome at my table." I finished as they approached the table.

       "So... have a seat.  Damn what's wrong with you all this morning?
Not had your coffee yet?" I chirped.

       They took their places pulling a chair from an adjacent table to
accommodate us all.  Everyone sat quietly staring into their trays not
saying a word.  WHAT IN THE HELL I thought!

       "So... are you all looking forward to training today?" I tried to
start the conversation....

       I got 4 shrugs, a grunt and a very unsteady "Sure" from Sweed.
Still no one had picked up their forks to even begin eating.

       I sat back in my chair and looked at the lot of them.  I had
never seen such a close knit unit so unbelievably awkward eating at the
same table.  Nope... This simply wouldn't do and almost instantly
inspiration struck.

       I moved the hash browns mentally from Sweed's plate sailing
across the table splattering into Neek's face; a good size chunk still
clinging to his cheek as the rest fell to his food tray with a plop.
Everyone in the cafeteria instantly froze looking to see Neek's
reaction.  You could have heard a popcorn fart it was so quiet.

       Suddenly a wet splatter flew from an adjacent table where Dusty
sat coating Sweed's face.  It was a splatter of egg cooked over easy,
the yellow residue dripping down his nose onto his plate.

       Complete and total chaos erupted as breakfast flew in and out
from every direction through the air making contact more often than
not.  A rain of eggs, potato and meat of various origins ensued.  Shit
flew everywhere as I slinked below the table waiting for it to run its
course.  I couldn't help but to laugh at it as speckles of oatmeal
dotted my hair from the fall out.

       Bransen had made his way beneath the table as well having spied
my escape route.

       "You're bad... you know that?" He asked as much as stated with a
grin.

       Flinching as someone's grits blasted my cheek I smiled in reply.
"Everyone needs a hobby."

       I pulled him into a kiss as much as any one could.  Our tongues
dueled as we lay in the debris of so much battle with food as ammo.  I
broke our kiss and pushed his butter caked hair from his face while
gazing into his eyes.

	"I do love you." I said amongst the insanity touching his brow
with my finger tips.

	"I love you too." He replied.

	My heart swelled with his words and I pulled him into another
kiss feeling the impact of food as it blurred across my peripheral
vision and into me and Bransen.

	"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!" We all heard yelled at the
top of Doc's lungs.

	Everyone paused, food in hand, completely caught off guard.  The
room grew silent as a lone wad of hash brown traveled through the air
landing on his head like a snow cone capped with more ice.

	"Bury HIM!" I yelled sending what debris I could find with my
mind from the floor and trays around us in his direction.

	Moments later... Doc stood at the entrance to the cafeteria.  Tray
still in hand as everyone got quiet.  Doc laughed in spite of himself.
What else is there to do when you have breakfast creeping down the
crack of your ass.

	I leaned into Bransen again and we kissed as I ran my fingers
through his food soaked hair.  Giving his cheek a lick I thanked him
for breakfast.

	As we crawled our way to the door and away from the carnage we
were stopped by DOC and we rose to our feet.

	Before us stood a breakfast covered man knowing too much for his
own good.

	"Somehow..." he said smiling, "I know this is your fault Khore..."

	"You can thank me later Doc.  We have to get out of here and to
training.  As it is... it's going to be a while." I said.  "Let the
others know would you?  Training is rescheduled for noon."  Looking at
Bransen I changed my mind.  "Okay... make it 2pm.  We'll see you all
there then... and please be sure that Dusty and Chris are there." I said
too quickly giving Doc a peck on the cheek as we made our way to the
lift.


---

Per suggestions from others, and a bit of work, I have re-written the
entire story.  Much of it is the same and the changes were cosmetic.  I
have also added some more depth to beginning characters and added a few
other things.  The chapters are for the most part longer and I have
corrected some continuity problems.  I know that I have much to learn
as a writer, and would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism
regarding this story.  Please contact me at gaywriter72@yahoo.com with
suggestions and criticisms.     Thanks!