Dark Side
Daniel stumbled as he landed on the island. It was the southern tip of the islands that would one day be New Zealand, untouched by man. He had been searching for Cam for a while now. His brother had been missing for a month. Daniel knew something was wrong. Cam was closer than a blood brother to him. Their bond was stronger than any other. They could feel each other emotions, thoughts, and fears like they were their own. Daniel knew Cam was living around a young maiden named Litith. They were supposed to marry. But something went wrong and Cam disappeared. Soon after that everything had started to feel wrong and tainted with the connection between them. Daniel had to find him. He had never done this before. He didn't have to search he used to just know. Just be able to appear at his brother's side. But he could barely feel Cam at all now. Daniel stood, his wings feeling stiff from the long flight and the beating he took from the rain. The moon was full tonight and everything around him was washed out of color. It all looked black and white. He has to be here he thought as he started walking through the massive trees and undergrowth. He almost wished for a machete. He could hear a waterfall not far ahead of him. Then he felt it. He felt a horrible sadness and a raging, burning anger that wasn't his own. He paused as he sifted through the emotions. He couldn't hear any thoughts from his brother but he still knew it was Cam. He couldn't understand why everything felt so distant. Daniel kept walking and suddenly he came through the trees to a clearing. A beautiful tall waterfall met him. He marveled at the sight for a moment before walking forward and stepping into the water. He was starting to feel Cam more clearly. 'Cam!' He yelled out. The water was frigid and Daniel was already shivering uncontrollably as he waded through the water to the fall. He called out Cam's name over and over making his throat hurt. He got to the waterfall and looked up. He couldn't even see the top. He took a breath and stepped through it. It beat down onto his body. He stumbled and fell onto the other side, gasping for breath. He started to pull himself up onto the ledge but he was grabbed up and slung around where his back was slammed into the wall. Daniel's body froze in shock from the sudden contact. Hands gripped his jacket and held him against the rock. He heard a low growl. 'What are you doing here?' Daniel's gray eyes met with bright, wild, emerald ones. 'Cam.' He said momentarily delighted. But paused as he looked at the face of his closest friend. Cam looked worse than Daniel had ever seen him. He was bruised all over. He hadn't shaved in a long while. The circles under his eyes made him look like a caged animal. His eyes darted around Daniels face watching his features as confusion and pity crossed them. He sighed and dropped Daniel to the ground. Daniel slumped down onto the rock and didnt move from the position as he watched Cam walk over to a bag, his very few possessions and pull out a full bottle with a dark liquid. He took a drink and turned back to Daniel. 'What do you want, Grigori?' He asked tiredly. Daniel blinked as if waking from a trance. 'What happened to you?' His voice didn't hide his confusion and worry. Cam shrugged. 'I been living on an island.' Was all the answer he gave. Daniel pulled himself up from the rock and took a step forwars. 'I dont understand, Cam. What is going on? You dissapeared on me.' Cam fixed his bright eyes on Daniel. There seemed to be a light coming from them that only Cam could have. Cam looked dangerous. Daniel shivered and it wasn't completely from the cold. 'Can't you feel it? Dont you feel the connection between us fading away? Don't you feel the urge to flee from me or better yet, hurt me?' Cam asked his eyes dancing. Daniel starred like Cam was some kind of animal in a zoo. Yes, he did feel it. The emotions inside him were jumbled and confused. What was happening? There was something itching at his mind. Like it was trying to tell him what he wasnt yet comprehending. 'Cam...what are you talking about?' He asked slowly. He started to feel that he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Cam laughed a hollow cackle that echoed off the walls of the cave behind the waterfall. It made the hair on Daniel's neck stand on end. Cam fixed his eyes on Daniel's, pouring into him as if he wanted him to figure it out by himself, as if he didn't want to say. Cam smiled a wicked grin. If a lion had a smile that would be it. All teeth and complete mischief. His eyes were wild, almost crazed. 'Danny boy. Don't be dense. I don't know what to say to you. I don't know how to tell you.' He sighed slowly. 'I'll just have to show you.' He stepped closer to Daniel until he was almost a foot away. Daniel's face was covered in a mask of confusion. He didn't understand why his brother was acting like this towards him and he couldn't sort through the emotions going on within him or why Cam felt like some kind of enemy. Daniel felt like his brain wouldnt work fast enough. Like it was frozen with the rest of his body. He shivered as he stared into Cam's eyes. He had never seen Cam this way, never seen him so...dark. He could never have known this was the new Cam he would come to know. And whatever he knew of Cam before was now lost. Suddenly Cam set his wings free from his back waking Daniel from his thoughts. They gleamed in the moonlight. They were glorious and Daniel couldn't help but stare even though he had seen them a million times. The black wings were raised above Cam's head. He looked like a dark avenging angel. Daniel still didnt understand. What was Cam trying to show him? Everything seemed to have slowed down. As he gazed at Cam's wings he noticed something for the first time. Gold. There were gold fibers that ran through his wings. He glanced down at the tips of the raven colored wings and they were gold too. Daniel's body had gone cold. Something in his brain went click, click, click slowly like some kind of machine and it came up with an answer he didn't want. Demon. Demon. Demon. It repeated over and over. Daniel stepped back quickly. 'No. Cam what did you do?' He asked completly shocked. Cam's face was blank. He did nothing to answer Daniel but stood there like he was waiting for something. Daniel couldn't make his mouth work. He opened and closed it like a fish out of water. Cam raised his eyebrows. How could he do this? Daniel shook his head slowly and took quick steps toward Cam. Before Cam could react Daniel had his arms wrapped around him. 'Brother, what have you done?' He whispered as tears sprung to his eyes. Daniel's touch burned Cam's skin. No matter how much Cam had missed his brother, he knew nothing would be the same and he just couldnt handle it. He couldn't stand the way Daniel gripped him like he was trying to make up for what Cam had done and tell him it would be okay. Cam shook his head. It wouldn't be okay. He pushed against Daniel's arms and pulled away. He could see the hurt in Daniel's eyes as they locked with his. Neither boy knew what to say. Maybe there was nothing left to say. Keeping his eyes on Daniel, Cam sipped at the bottle and replaced the calm mask. 'Daniel, you should leave. I came here to be alone. Just go away. Now.' Daniel shook his head slowly. 'No. I can help you. We can fix this mistake, brother.' Daniel felt the quick anger boil up in Cam at his words. 'What mistake? I am no longer your brother and who says I need help, Daniel. I never said I needed anything from anyone!' Cam growled. 'Look at all I have now.' Cam spread his arms wide. His anger was out of control. It engulfed him and there was no reining it in. Daniel felt it and took a step back. Cam flung the bottle onto the rocks and it shattered into a million little shards. Cam stepped closer to Daniel. Cam brung his hands up in front of him and snapped his fingers. Fire spread from his finger tips to his palm. It crawled to the center of his hands until in each hand was a ball of flame. Cam smiled wickedly at his work. A darkness had started to crawl over his skin. Daniel backed away and his wings unfurled in reaction to being so close to an angry demon. His body tensed for a fight but he knew he wouldnt lay a violent hand on his brother. He starred at Cam as he continued to change. His eyes were now rimmed with a thick shimmering gold shadow. It shone on his face in the moonlight making him look more like a wild cat. A deadly lion. The darkness had settled around him. He rolled his shoulders as if it might be heavy. 'Cam. Stop. Dont do this, okay?' Daniel said slowly. He couldn't believe what his closest brother had become. Cam cracked his neck, smiling wickedly. 'I'm just showing you the perks of demon life. Showing you what your missing out on.' He hissed. As he spoke darkness had started to pool around his feet and spread on the ground forming into gross, horrible creatures. They stood and worked out the kinks in their demonic limbs. Daniel felt fear crawl through him. He was frozen to the rock. The look in Cam's eyes was murderous. If Cam wanted Daniel dead he would be. His brother was on the other side of a never ending war. His breath caught at this late realization. One day he would be in a battle to the death with Cam. One of the demonic creatures that looked like a snake slithered up Cam's body and down his arm to wrap itself around his wrist. He ran his hand down it, petting it, apsentmindedly. His eyes never left Daniel's. 'Cam, it doesnt have to be this way.' Daniel spoke slowly realizing it could come down to a fight right here and now. Cam's eyes had a red tint coming into them. He looked more and more like Lucifer himself. That only meant Cam was worse off than Daniel even knew. By the tattoo on his neck and his powerful commands, Cam was already a high ranking demon. Maybe even Lucifer's right hand man. Daniel shivered which made Cam grin. 'Oh, Danny, it does have to be this way. There is no longer love in my heart and it feels so good. I no longer feel fear or pretty much any stupid, human emotion besides anger. And of course, a fire that consumes anything else that trys to come through. It's so much easier this way. I don't have to be human anymore. I dont have to feel human.' His voice changed to a deep, demonic growl and it formed a knot in Daniel's stomach. He was going to be sick. 'Cam, please. You cant really want this, brother.' He half whispered. 'I'm not your brother! And you dont know what I want!' Cam yelled. The words hit Daniel like a physical blow as the sound echoed off the walls. The dark creatures shivered ready to eat Daniel alive. 'Oh, go away!' Cam said, aggitated, to the darkness and it dispersed as quick as a snap of his fingers. Cam was left alone with shimering gold around his very green eyes and a ball of flame in one of his hands. He turned away from Daniel and walked to the wall. His wings met the rock as he slid down it and onto the ground. He looked into his hand and ran his fingers through the flame. Daniel paused starring at the person closest to him in this bleak world. His fear left him as he looked at the broken man. He walked and sat down next to Cam. 'Why wont you go away, too?' Cam asked tiredly. He didnt feel the energy to actually hurt Daniel. He just wanted to scare him away. It didnt work. 'I wont leave you when you need me.' Daniel answered slowly. He didnt know what else to do but stay by Cam's side. 'I dont need you, Grigori. Dont you understand? Nothing will be the same. Me and you? Will never be what it was. Dont you feel the hatred for me? Few people even understand how it feels to hate the person you love best... ' Cam trailed off and closed his hand on the flame. The gold under his eyes faded as he closed them and ducked his head low. 'Cam. I dont hate you.' Daniel whispered. But even as he said it he knew it was a lie. He felt it and knew it wasn't his choice anymore. Cam shook his head. The demon and the angel could never be brothers like they once were. There was a natural hate that coursed through every demon and angel that is directed towards each other. Daniel pressed his shoulder against Cam's and their wings met. It was the strangest feeling. Their wings wanted to touch each other but it burned. It was almost painful but neither of them moved from it. Between the bond of brothers and the inexplicable reliance, it was the natural state of things. 'We cant let this ruin us, Cam.' Daniel spoke. Cam raised his head slowly and looked into his eyes. 'There isnt anything left to us.' He said slowly. Daniel looked away as he felt the pain of losing his brother. His confident, his comrade in arms, his lion protector was slipping away from him. Daniel's body ached and he wanted to deny Cam's words but how could he, really? There was nothing for a demon and an angel. Nothing but a battle that would last through the ages. He felt waves of sadness rolling off of Cam. It mixed with his own. He looked to Cam's face and met his catlike green eyes. They starred for a while, knowing there was nothing left but not wanting to let go. Daniel felt a tear run down his face for the loss of his only friend. There has to be a way around this he thought as he stood and stepped away from Cam. Cam stood too and walked to his lost brother. 'Daniel. There is nothing left to do. It would be better for you to leave now.' Cam whispered brokenly. Daniel turned towards him and nodded slowly. There was nothing left. As he starred at Cam's broken face and the clear pain written all over his body he knew this was the last time he would see this side of his brother. The last time they would ever feel their bond. Daniel stuck his right hand forward and Cam put a pale hand in his. Cam suddenly pulled Daniel into him and wrapped his other hand around him. Daniel's hand came around Cam's back and they gripped each other hard. They burned at each other's touch but didnt want to let go. The pain was worth it. 'Get out of here, Daniel. Dont come back.' Cam's voice was holding back tears and Daniel was surprised. Daniel had never seen Cam cry and probably never will. They pulled away from each other and Daniel knew he had to leave. 'Farewell, brother.' He whispered looking into Cam's eyes. Cam nodded as Daniel spread his wings and dove through the waterfall and into the sky. He pushed his wings harder and tried not to turn back. Rain soaked his body. He couldnt tell if it was tears or rain running down his cheeks anymore. Inside the cave behind the waterfall, Cam sunk to the floor and let the pain seep through as he felt his only friend and closest brother fly away. He felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. On his knees, he wrapped his wings around himself and ducked his head. He cried silently. His tears ran down his face and dripped onto his gold ridden wings. He didnt move for a long time, just let the tears fall. But finally he stood and slowly crushed any feeling for anything he had ever had with his anger and his own personal hell fire. The clouds in the sky slid over the moon. He let his fire burn and consume anything he had left inside him and vowed to himself that he would never feel for another person. Never let anything or anyone be strong enough to break him. Hell burned through him and he became the demon inside. He closed his red eyes to the lonely dark night and forgot all he was.