Well well, you've come back for another dose, have you? Glad to hear it! Thanks to all for the support you've shown for my writing. I love doing it and it makes it even better that I know that there are people who are enjoying it! Tim - thank you. You can be in the next chapter of Shining Star. I'm going to remember that threat that I made! Sher, I got the package, thank you. I'll write you a mail later.
Speaking of mail, I love to hear from people who've read my stories, so please e-mail me! shiningstar@oceanfree.net . I don't care if you've got good or bad things to say. I want to hear them! Suggestions are also very welcome. If you like my writing then maybe you'd like my other story - Shining Star. Try it!
This, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call fiction. That means that I made it up. I don't spend my spare time battling evil wizards and I suspect that Nsync don't either. Justin, Lance, JC, Chris and Joey are based on real people but what happens in this story is not real. (See the definition of fiction above.) If you're too young then don't let your parents catch you!
"Towel Boy." I muttered shaking my head. Justin hadn't shown himself since he slipped up more then an hour ago. The others assured me that he was around somewhere, probably invisible so that we couldn't mock him. It was a shame, because I definitely wanted to see him again.
"Joey." Whispered Lance. "Are you still awake?"
"You know I am."
"True. But manners dictate that I ask you anyway." Joey rolled over to face Lance.
"What is it?"
"I'm worried about Justin."
"James." Sighed Joey. "You've always been worried about Justin.
"Well, I haven't seen him since he said that thing about the towel earlier."
"So? You know what he's like. He'll say something like that and then he'll disappear for a while."
"But it's been 4 hours." Insisted Lance
"What do you expect? Him to come in here and announce that he's back? He's knows better then to do that after he saw us the last time." Lance could feel the smile on Joey's face.
"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Asked Lance.
"Well, you have to admit that it was easier then telling them that we were together!"
"But I'd know that he was back anyway, remember?" Said Lance, tapping his head.
"Ok Ok, I get your point. It's odd. But he can look after himself."
"I'm not so sure. He's confused, Joey. He doesn't know what to think or what to do." Snapping his fingers, Joey turned on the lights. He sat up in bed and looked steadily into Lance's eyes.
"Stop talking in circles. Tell me what's getting at you know!"
"I think that Justin's. well. I think Justin's gay."
"Is that all? Why wouldn't he know what to do? He should know that we'd be there for him." Joey was confused now. Justin was all right with his relationship Lance and he knew that none of them would care that Justin was gay.
"It's not that that I think he's confused about. I think he's got feelings for Tom and he doesn't know what to do about them." Said Lance, finally getting out what he wanted to say.
"Oh." Answered Joey.
"Exactly."
"Can you tell how Tom feels?"
"Hell yeah! Before we showed him his power he was as easy to read as a book. He's gay alright, but since we showed him his power his mental defences have been getting more powerful and, although I probably could get through them I don't want to probe the mind of someone who I consider to be a friend. It's not right and I'm not going to do it."
Joey was surprised by the strength of the conviction in Lance's voice and said so.
"I know, I just feel really protective of him. Like I really want to make sure that nothing happens to him." Said Lance.
"I feel the same way. I'm going to ask Josh in the morning if it could be part of the protection spell that's on Tom. Until then, try to get some sleep James!"
Justin was wandering the streets, thinking about what had passed through his mind earlier, and the slip that he had made. The guys wouldn't mind, of that he was sure. Look at their reaction to the news that Lance and Joey were together! But he didn't know Tom, didn't know what he was like and didn't want to lose him as a friend. Better to never say anything at all and keep him as a friend then to lose him by saying something stupid, he decided. But what if said something like before? And what if it was more obvious this time? He desperately wanted to talk to someone about it, but his only really good friends, the ones that he could trust, were too close to him. Lance probably already knew, thought Justin, but that wouldn't make it any easier to talk to him. Tears pricked his eyes and he sat down and put his face in his hands. After a couple of minutes of sobbing quietly to himself he resolved what he was going to do. He was going to talk to Lance about it, ask him what he thought he should do, and then maybe try to get closer to Tom.
"Aww. the pretty boy's been crying." Jeered a tall black man who was standing nearby. For the first time Justin looked around to see where he was, and even though he didn't know the city, he knew a slum when he saw one.
"That's so sad." Said another man, just as tall, who seemed to have resolved himself from the shadows to stand beside the first.
"What do ya reckon boys, - another two men joined the two standing there already - do we give him something to really cry about? Such a pretty boy can't have any serious problems to worry about. Yet." Asked the original, fondling himself whilst speaking.
"Just leave me alone guys." Said Justin tiredly, looking up at them. "I really can't deal with this right now." He knew that he could beat them in his sleep, but he had other things on his mind at the time.
"Sure thing pretty boy." Sneered one of them. "Anything you say."
"Do I recognise that face?. I'm sure I do. Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this." Justin was instantly alerted. He always used a spell to disguise his appearance when he went out (except when he wanted to be recognised.) and no one without magical abilities should be able to recognise him. He looked at the men with the aid of his power and saw that two of them had something. It was black (obviously) but not very strong. He could still take them, but it was going to be harder.
"Listen. I don't want to hurt anyone so just fuck off, ok?" Asked Justin, who really didn't want to have to get into anything.
"Your concern is touching. But I don't think that you could do any damage to me somehow." The person who spoke this time had a polished voice, and didn't sound as if he belonged on the street. He was also one of the two mages. Justin saw the lightening quick flick of a wrist and a spell flying towards him. He slowed down time to think things through. He decided to absorb the power, that way he could find out what it was, and because he doubted that it would effect him, it should be alright. Also, he didn't want to have any sort of a fight out on the street where it would attract attention. He brought time back to normal and when he realised that the objective was for him to become unconscious, he slumped forward and let the men carry him off. There was some power behind that spell, and he wanted to find out whose it was. Justin was sure that the mage that threw it at him had not been powerful enough to use something like that.
During the trip he kept his eyes closed but roamed around with his magical senses. Finally he saw them approaching a door and, scraping a key into the lock, opening it. He couldn't see past it with his power. His eyes shot open with alarm. They were taking him into a room with magic nullifiers! His power would be useless. He frantically tried to break free from them, but it was too late. They had him in the room and were busy tying him down.
At the same time, back at the hotel, all the other members of Nsync were asleep, most not having worried about Justin before going to bed. But JC had. And now he was sitting up in bed, wide-awake and in a cold sweat. He knew that something was wrong. But the second that Justin had had to transmit any sort of message had not been enough and all JC knew was that Justin was in trouble, somewhere. He rushed out into the hall, only to bump into me.
We both started talking at the same time. "Justin's in trouble!" Then - "I know that." Josh followed that with - "But how do you know?"
I paused for a moment, to gather my thoughts but before I could speak again JC had run up the hallway to tell the others that something was up with Justin. They all came out into the hall, rubbing their eyes, but other then that they seemed to be waking up quickly. They all asked what was wrong, in their own ways.
"There's something wrong with Justin, he's in danger, somewhere. But I can't tell where!" JC was pacing the hallway, almost sick with worry.
"He's in a nullifying room." I said, then frowned. "What's a nullifying room?" Where had that come from? I wondered. JC seized me by the shoulders.
"How do you know that? Do you know where he is? Tell me!" Lance pulled him away, into his arms and calmed him down.
"I don't know how I know. All I know is that I know." I felt a bit blurry for a minute after saying that sentence, and the others took a minute to work it though their heads. Lance was the first to speak.
"Do you know where he is?" He asked.
"Kinda." I replied. "It's like. I could take you there, but I don't know an address. Do you know what I mean?"
"Sure. It happens all the time when one of the guys tells me where he is from somewhere." JC interrupted Lance.
"You're saying that he's got Justin's thoughts up there?"
"No. I don't know. JC, do feel up to taking a look? Do you mind Tom?" I hesitated before replying but said yes. JC put a trembling hand to my face and closed his eyes. This time I could feel him probing around in my mind. When he found what he was looking for he gasped.
"You've got all of Justin's thoughts and emotions for that second that he was trying to tell someone what was happening, they're all in your mind." JC straightened up with a new strength and pulled himself away from Lance, who still had a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We can talk about this later. I know where Justin is. Let's go." He extended his arms, for someone to take his hands for a teleportation spell but instead Lance grasped his shoulder.
"If we're going to rescue him from a magic nullifying room we're going to need more then our underwear." I looked around the hall, no one was wearing more then boxer shorts, neither was I. I blushed and ducked back into my room to get dressed. Two minutes later we all met back in the hall, JC armed with a mean looking sword and the others with an assortment of knives and martial equipment. We quickly teleported to the corridor just outside the room which contained Justin and his captors.
"There are four of them. Two have magical powers, but they'll be in the dampening room too, so that won't make a difference, they're all over six foot and they're strong. I'll go in first and give them a chance to leave. Be careful everyone. With that, JC strode over to the door and flung it open. From my vantage point I could see what was happening inside. Justin was naked, with his arms and legs tied to the four corners. Two of the men were naked and wanking over Justin, one had his dick out and looked as if he was about to penetrate Justin in a minute or two, and the fourth was sitting on the bed, and had been talking to Justin until JC flung the door open.
I heard JC say - "To hell with giving them a chance." And then he attacked the man who was about to fuck Justin. I don't think I've ever seen such a rage before in my life. The others quickly followed and beat the other two out of the room. But the one who had been sitting on the bed stood up slowly, unperturbed.
"I was hoping that you'd come." He looked down at the man who lay on the floor, dying. "Pity about that, he had been so looking forward to Mr. Timberlake. but then, it got your attention, which was the main reason for this whole charade." He flicked a small fireball at the dying man, putting him out of his misery. "Don't look so surprised Mr. Chasez. You didn't think that this room cancelled all magic do you? Just your distasteful variety." With a glance he slammed the door shut. "Unfortunately I wouldn't prove powerful enough to get you all if you had your powers, but - he shrugged his shoulders - without them you're nothing more then human, are you?"
I decided that this was not going in a direction that I wished to pursue. Well, actually, I was very scared. I was stuck in a room with a maniac who seemed intent on killing some of the greatest people that I had ever met. I shivered, which brought the attention of the maniac to me.
"Who are you? I don't recall there being 6 members to this group. Oh well, I'm sure that one more death won't make a difference."
"He's only a fan who found us when we were teleporting here. It's a mistake that he's here at all, please, don't kill him." Pleaded Lance.
"Very touching, but I don't think that I could leave an eye- witness hanging around. After all this planning? I don't think so." He raised an arm in the classic wizard style and a fireball developed there. "You can be the first to die, so that the others can see what awaits them."
I cringed and closed my eyes. I finally had time to pay attention to that nagging thought in the back of my head - if we had all lost our magic then why was I able to feel the others in my mind? What had he said? Just your distasteful variety of magic. As in white magic? But JC said that I didn't have white magic, that I had a choice. Could it mean.I quickly retreated into my power centre and saw that everything was as normal. Suddenly, the pinprick of thought that was JC in my mind became stronger, brighter.
I opened my eyes and saw him staring straight at me while the man who was going to try to kill me was preparing a spell. In an instant I knew that I was right.
I closed my eyes again and created shields around myself. Then I developed a fireball in my hand and opened my eyes again. He hadn't noticed! He was too absorbed in the spell that he was weaving and was cocky. He thought that nothing could hurt him. I threw the ball at him with all my strength, he looked up in shock and, forgetting the spell in his hand he brought up his own shields. He hadn't gotten up quickly enough and some of the fire hit him in the chest. JC tried to take advantage of the situation to free Justin but the maniac was having none of it. He stared straight at Josh and hurled him into a wall using his mind, and then he looked back at me not knowing what to think. He raised his hand again and lashed out with lightening. It glanced off my shields and earthed itself in a wall. He looked at me with fear as I threw another fireball. This one was more powerful then the last, I was getting better at this.
It took all his strength to block it. His mind was suddenly left unguarded and I felt him. He was a sickening presence in the back of my mind. I tried to push it away because it was disgusting and then saw the effect that it had on him. He grunted in pain for a moment and then was focused again. But he hadn't left my mind. I could still sense him. I pushed harder and this time he fell to the floor, his shields cracking and disintegrating underneath his weight. He had fainted! With him unconscious the spells blocking magic died. As did the spells holding the door closed. Fire seared across Justin's bonds and they burnt away, leaving him free. JC knelt down beside they're would be murderer, he placed his hand on him and with a shimmer he disappeared.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Sent him in front of the Arch-Mage council. He'll find life there. interesting." Replied JC.
"Can we leave now?" Said Justin, shuddering.
"Yeah, let's go get J some clothes!" Added Chris, trying to relieve the mood.
"Are you ok Justin?" Asked a concerned Lance.
"I'll be fine. But a couple of minutes later and that guy would have. would have." Said Justin, breaking into tears. JC drew him into a hug, neither of them caring that Justin was naked. "I'm just glad that you found me in time. I didn't think that I had enough time to tell you so I just threw everything at you."
JC interrupted him. "Shh, you're ok now. That's all that matters. Lets go back to the hotel so that you can get some sleep, hmm?"
"Yeah." Everybody gathered round the two of them as did I. JC said the words and seconds later we were in Josh's room. He pushed everyone out except Justin, who he then put to sleep in his room. We all sat in silence in Lance and Joey's room, reflecting on what had just happened.
I spoke the first words. "What did happen guys? I'm still confused."
"Some guy tried to kill us and have Justin raped. I would have thought that it was obvious!"
"Leave him alone Joey. That's not what he's talking about." Admonished Lance. The door opened and a weary looking JC entered the room.
"How's Justin?" I asked.
"He's asleep, shaken up. But he'll be fine. What were you talking about before I came in?"
I shot a smile at Lance. "Thanks Lance. You're right, I meant - Why did he try to kill you in the first place?"
JC answered. "Because of the prestige it affords a person, because he was hired to, because of the rewards offered, revenge. Take your pick." I didn't understand, and I said so. JC just flopped down onto a chair and let Joey answer.
"We've told you that we're together as a group because of our powers, but we didn't tell you what we do. There's more then simply humans with magic. There are demons, vampires, and a host of things that, given half a chance would kill of the entire human race. We've got to try to stem the flow. That makes us unpopular with a lot of people and things. Last time we heard, there was about five million on each of our heads, just for the heads."
"And now you've gotten me into this? This should be interesting."
Chris replied. "If you want to back out, just say so. We could erase your memories."
JC said - "The memories would grow back. We've shown you your power, you've got to live with it now."
"Don't worry guys! I wouldn't give this up for the world. Besides, I think that you need me really. Look at the trouble you'd have gotten into if I hadn't have been there tonight!"
That's another chapter out. Let me know what you think - shiningstar@oceanfree.net .
Tim.