Author's Note: I would like to dedicate this story to MetalHeadRailFan. He has drawn me numerous images based on my stories, and he has even written a post We Will Burn the Sky story on Dil. He asked me, if I would write a story based on the formation of Dark Stairway. I felt obligated to try and oblige. For this particular story, I did my best to stay in harmony with what I had written in the previous stories, but also to keep it short. This is a "short story" after all. With that being said, I always appreciate the feedback that I have received from these stories.

A Dark Stairway is Born

"That's so stupid," said a student in Professor Hayes's Introduction to Philosophy class at Missouri Community College.

The comment by this particular student was made during a lecture on Kantian ethics. During the lecture, Professor Hayes explained that according to Immanuel Kant an individual could never lie regardless of the circumstances—even if an assassin was looking for his or her victim. Many in the class laughed at the student's comment, which seemed to make the professor look stupid. However, one student seemed to have a more objective outlook at the situation.

"Perhaps Kant's position may be 'stupid'," began a student wearing an Iced Earth Burnt Offerings shirt with long red hair, "but perhaps every culture around the world is 'stupid' as well, since all of them seem to declare that it's not okay to lie. With that being said, perhaps the Ten Commandments are 'stupid' as well, since one of them declares that you're not supposed to lie."

Professor Hayes smiled.

And the student, who originally declared Kant's position to be 'stupid', said, "That's a good point, fair enough."

Professor Hayes maintained his smile and said, "You have made a very good defense of Immanuel Kant, Dil." The professor turned to the clock on the wall and added, "Let's stop for the day. We will continue what little we have of Kant next time."

In the hallway after Dil's Introduction to Philosophy class concluded, a young man wearing a Deep Purple In Rock shirt with long blonde hair, who was also in Dil's class, approached him, "Man, that was fucking awesome! And that is a really awesome shirt."

Dil smiled. "Thanks, and that's a pretty awesome shirt too. I love the song 'Child in Time'. It took me forever to be able to sing it properly, but it does cause a strain on my vocal chords."

"Oh, you're a singer?"

"Yeah, somewhat—I can play guitar and keyboards as well, but I really like to sing."

"That's cool, man. What's your name?"

"I'm Dil, and you?"

"I'm Andrew, pleased to meet you, Dil."

Dil smiled. "Thanks, same here. I take it that you're a fan of Heavy Metal or at least heavy rock?"

"Have been pretty much my whole life. It has always been around me in one way or another."

Dil chuckled. "I can't claim that. My parents listened to a lot of Disco. I may have heard a Zeppelin song here and there, but for the most part, it was KC and the Sunshine Band."

Andrew laughed. "How was it that you got involved into the world of metal?"

"The first place that I worked at was a restaurant, and the cook was a big Heavy Metal fan, and since the cook is in charge of the kitchen, that's what we got to hear…thank God."

Again, Andrew laughed. "Are there any other bands that you like besides Iced Earth?"

"Oh, of course: Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, DIO, Grave Digger, Rainbow—Dio era anyway…I guess that works for now. What about you? Anything else besides Deep Purple?"

Andrew chuckled. "Certainly! I like a number of the bands that you mentioned. But I also like the Scorpions—even though some of their 'lovey dovey' shit can get on my nerves."

Dil chuckled.

"But I also like Blind Guardian, Metallica, Iron Mask, Savatage…"

"Savatage? Somehow, I'm not familiar with them."

"Really?! Based on the bands that you mentioned, I'm sure that you will love them. Go look up the song 'White Witch' from them."

"Let me write that down," said Dil, while he removed a piece of paper and a pen. Dil wrote down the information Andrew had given him, before he added, "There was one person I am surprised that you didn't mention."

"And who was that?"

"Dio—Ronnie James Dio."

Andrew laughed. "Well, you mentioned him earlier, that's why I didn't say anything. Let me change the conversation a little, and ask you this: Do you compose any?"

"Yeah, I write melodies and lyrics, and try to sing along with them."

"Well, when you have any spare time, would you like to get together and perhaps try to write some music?"

Dil nodded. "Sure, that sounds pretty cool."

From the after class conversation between Dylan Pickles and Andrew Stanislov, the foundation for a musical partnership was formed. Whenever the two had time, Dil and Andrew would meet—either at Dil's apartment or at Andrew's apartment. During their initial meetings, the two took turns playing the guitar and singing, until both declared that Dil was the better singer, and Andrew was the better guitar player.

At Dil's apartment for one particular meeting, the two decided to play a version of Iron Maiden's 'Holy Smoke'. The song went well, until Dil decided to ad lib, "'I live in filth, and I live in sin, and I still smell cleaner than the shit you fuckers are in!'"

Andrew stopped playing and laughed.

"What is it?" asked Dil.

"Just the way you ad libbed that. That was so funny."

Dil smirked. "Thanks, it just came to me. I was just thinking about how all these TV preachers take advantage of people."

Andrew returned the smirk.

"Hey, I've got an idea!"

"What's that?"

"Since we're both of Russian descent, how 'bout we play Iron Maiden's 'Mother Russia'?"

Andrew shook his head. "Not yet, Dil."

"What do you mean, 'Not yet'?"

"We need some other people to play with us. We need a bass player, a drummer, and a keyboard player would be nice—considering how much you like the keyboards."

Dil nodded. "Okay, and where are we going to find these people?"

Andrew paused. "From the inner circle."

"The 'inner circle'?" responded Dil.

Andrew nodded. "Yeah, the Heavy Metal one—the one that goes to the CD shops and record stores. We'll put out an ad for a keyboard player, a bass player, and a drummer; we can also probably do the same thing on the various billboards around campus."

Dil returned the nod. "To me that sounds good."

Andrew smiled, before he turned to a clock on Dil's wall. "I should get going. I need to get back home."

"When can we meet again?"

"I don't know. I'll let you know what my work schedule is for this week."

"Okay, I'll let you know what I have this week as well."

"Sounds good; take care, Dil."

"See ya, Andrew!"

Shortly after Andrew left Dil's apartment, Dil's cell phone rang. The number on Dil's Caller ID showed that it was his parents. Dil opened his cell phone and said, "Hello?"

"Dil," began his father, Stu, "I'm calling you about your grandma."

"Which one?"

"Lulu."

"What about her?"

"She's gone to be with your grandpa."

Dil was stunned—this was the fourth time he had been personally touched by death. His grandpas Boris and Lou were gone. Earlier in the year, Dil lost one of his musical heroes, Ronnie James Dio. And now his grandma, Lulu, was gone. Dil sighed. "Well, I guess she and Grandpa are 'burning the sky' together."

"Huh?"

"It's a song from the Scorpions. It's about how when two lovers are united in death, they will 'burn the sky' together."

Stu chuckled. "If that's the case, then I think Lulu's got some competition."

"Some competition?"

"Yep."

"From who?"

Stu smirked. "My mom, your biological grandmother."

"Oh," said a stunned Dil. For Dil, his brother, Tommy, and cousin, Angelica, Lulu was their 'grandmother'. They had never met their paternal biological grandmother. "I guess I never thought of it that way," added Dil. "Anyway, do you know anything about the funeral arrangements?"

"Not yet, I think Lulu left that up with her family. I'm sure that we'll hear more about that today or tomorrow."

"Okay, keep me updated, Dad."

"Will do, Dil."

When Dil finished the telephone conversation with his father, he sighed. "Wow, Grandpa Lou's gone; Grandpa Boris is gone; and now Grandma Lulu is gone."

Lulu's visitation was held three days later, with her funeral to follow the next day. Besides the Pickles and members of Lulu's family, the Finsters, the DeVilles, and the Carmichaels also attended. Death is never easy, but for Tommy, Dil, Angelica, Phil, Lil, Chuckie, Kimi, and Susie, it was much more difficult, than it was for their parents—youth often have a sense of immortality, versus an older generation.

"Are those my 'minis'?" said a voice.

Tommy, Dil, Angelica, Phil, Lil, Chuckie, Kimi, and Susie turned to the voice. It belonged to a woman in her middle-30s with dark hair.

"However, you don't quite look like 'minis' anymore," the woman added with a smile.

Angelica blinked. "Taffy?"

The woman chuckled. "I'm glad that my 'first groupie' was able to remember me. However," Taffy began, while she pointed to Angelica's protruding belly, "it looks as though you're going to have your own 'mini' soon."

Angelica smiled, and massaged her stomach. "Yeah, I guess you can say that."

"When's the baby due?"

"In October."

"Do you know what it's going to be?"

"I understand that it's going to be a boy, but Aunt Didi thought that Dil was going to be a girl, and…"

"Does that have to be brought up?" interjected Dil.

Those present laughed.

Taffy smiled. "So here's little Dylan. He seems to have grown up quite a bit from that two-year-old red haired boy, who used to run around in his diaper after his brother."

"Does that have to be brought up as well?" asked Dil, while he tossed his hair.

Again, those present laughed.

Taffy chuckled. "You've got hair like a rocker, Dil."

Dil smiled. "Thanks, I play a little heavy rock."

"Are you in a band?"

Dil chuckled. "Well, I guess I'm in the process of that being the case. I've been working on music with a guitarist, but we're in the process of looking for a bass player, drummer, and keyboard player. By the way, Taffy, I seem to remember that when I was little you were in a band."

Taffy laughed. "That's right! I'm glad that you remembered."

"Do you still play?"

"Not really, once I started to have a family, I kind of gave all that up."

Dil nodded. "So…do you know any possible musicians?"

Taffy laughed. "Well, I've been out of it for so long…what kind of music do you play?"

"Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, that kind of thing."

Taffy placed her chin between her thumb and first finger. "There is someone that I know who plays keyboards and likes that kind of music. He's about your age, maybe a couple of years older."

"Does he have a name?"

"Don't we all?" Taffy replied with a smirk.

Dil returned the smirk. "Okay, what is it?"

"'James' is his name."

"How do you know him?"

"Through his mom, she's a few years older than I am."

Dil nodded. "Anyway, would you be willing to pass on this information to him?"

"Sure, Dil."

Dil smiled. "Thanks."

Taffy returned the smile, but she also turned to those present. "I want to thank all of you for coming to my great-aunt's visitation. She loved all of you."

"And we loved her," said Tommy. "For us, she was 'Grandma'."

Through Andrew's efforts, a bass player had been produced, Chris Wingate. And through Taffy's efforts, a keyboard player had been produced, James Larkin. The dark-haired and eyed Wingate's bass playing reminded Dil and Andrew of Iron Maiden's Steve Harris, while the brown-haired and green-eyed Larkin reminded Dil and Andrew of Deep Purple's Jon Lord, due to his Hammond Organ. Both Wingate and Larkin were great additions to the music that Dil and Andrew wanted to create, but while the four were playing a version of Rainbow's 'Stargazer' in Andrew's parents' garage, Dil gestured to the three of them to stop playing.

"What is it, Dil?" asked Andrew.

"What we just played was absolutely horrible," responded Dil.

"And why is that?" began Chris. "Do you expect me to sound like Jimmy Bain?"

"No," responded Dil.

"Do you expect me to sound like Tony Carey?" asked James.

"No," replied Dil.

"I hope that you don't expect me to sound like Ritchie Blackmore?" added Andrew.

"No, and I don't expect to sound like Dio either," answered Dil. "Nor do I expect us to sound like Rainbow in the studio. The reason that we don't sound right is that we lack a drummer."

"Well, Dil, why don't you 'wave a magic wand' and produce one?" suggested Andrew.

Dil smirked. "If I could do that, I would have cured cancer, and Dio would still be alive today."

Andrew removed his guitar strap from his shoulder and said, "You know what, everyone, why don't we call it a day?"

Dil, James, and Chris nodded.

"And while we're at it," continued Andrew, "let's visit The Friendly Tap?"

Chris and James were in favor of Andrew's suggestion; Dil was not. "You guys can go there, but I won't. What's the point? I'm not yet 21."

"So?" said Andrew.

"So it's not any fun watching people drink, when you can't," responded Dil.

Andrew smiled. "Tell you what, Dil. You shoot some 8-ball with us, and I'll buy you a six-pack later."

Dil returned the smile. "That sounds like a fair trade."

On this particular Saturday afternoon, The Friendly Tap had more patrons that it normally would have. This was due to the live Blues band that was in attendance. Dil, Andrew, Chris, and James had respect for the Blues; yet, they also found that the Blues could quickly become 'boring'. Nevertheless, the four decided to watch a little bit of the band.

"Everyone," began the guitar player, "we thought that we'd give you a little 'shock and awe'. One of our good friends, Johnny—Johnny Adams more specifically—just became a new dad last night for the first time."

The patrons applauded.

"To help Johnny celebrate," continued the guitarist, "we thought that we'd let Johnny play the drums for a little bit. Now Johnny likes some of that Heavy Rock/Heavy Metal music, so a lot of what he's going to play will probably 'scare the hell out of you'."

A number of the patrons chuckled.

"But according to him, that's one of the things that Heavy Metal is all about."

From the bar, a man with long dark hair, dark eyes, and a goatee stood and approached the band. The man took a pair of drum sticks, while the guitarist added, "Give them hell, Johnny."

The man, identified as Johnny, laughed, as he sat at the drum kit. With the drum sticks, Johnny made an 'X' in the air, before he began to play a version of Led Zeppelin's 'Moby Dick'. Once 'Moby Dick' was concluded, Johnny played a version of Rainbow's 'Stargazer'.

"We could have used him earlier," thought Dil.

Once Johnny's version of 'Stargazer' was concluded, he added, "This goes out to my little Austra." Johnny's sentence served as an introduction for Iron Maiden's 'Brave New World'. When 'Brave New World' concluded, Johnny made another 'X' with the drum sticks and said, "Thanks for allowing me to give the people some 'hell', Stagaroos."

Those present applauded, even if they truly did not care for what Johnny played, while he returned to his spot at the bar.

"Do you this guy, Andrew?" asked Dil.

Andrew shook his head. "No."

"Well, I think we need to." Dil turned to Chris and James and added, "We need to talk to him."

Chris and James nodded.

"Dude, that was fucking awesome!" Dil said, while he, Andrew, Chris, and James approached Johnny. "I'm sure that Dio and Cozy loved that version of 'Stargazer'."

Johnny laughed. "Thanks, man."

"Do you play often?" asked Andrew.

Johnny took a drink of his Bud Light and replied, "Not as much as I used to. I was in a band called Thor's Hammer. Not sure, if you heard of them or not. It's a local band."

"I may have heard something about them," said Chris.

Johnny nodded, and took another drink of his Bud Light. "Anyway, I was the drummer of that band, but I left."

"How come?" asked Dil.

"The guitarist wanted to take the band in another direction. We were essentially a power metal band, but he wanted to produce more 'Album Oriented Rock', so I quit."

Dil, Andrew, Chris, and James cringed.

"If I was in a band called Thor's Hammer, and I was told that we are going to start playing 'Album Oriented Rock', I'd quit the band, and suggest that the band change their name," said Dil.

Johnny laughed.

Andrew smirked. "A band called Thor's Hammer playing 'Album Oriented Rock'…doesn't seem to work."

Again, Johnny laughed. "No, no it doesn't."

"You know," began Chris, "the stuff that you were playing earlier, we play music in that style."

"Yeah," added James, "in fact we were playing Rainbow's 'Stargazer' earlier, but our lead singer here," James added with a gesture to Dil, "didn't like our version."

"So you guys have a band?" asked Johnny.

"Well, we do, but we don't," answered Andrew. "We're missing a key element."

"And what's that?"

"A drummer," answered Dil.

Johnny rapped his fingers on the bar. "I'll tell you what. I've obviously got some spare time, so I might be willing to play with you guys to see how it works."

Dil smiled. "Sounds good."

Johnny's drums became another missing element in the band of Dil, Andrew, Chris, and James. Yet, the band still did not have a name. But that was to change at one 'jam session' during the second week of October 2010. While the five piece band covered 'Stargazer', Dil sang, "I see a 'stairway' rising!"

The band stopped. "Where did you get that from, Dil?" asked Andrew.

"I don't know. It just came to me."

"Maybe it's the 'Stairway to Heaven'," said Johnny.

"Or the 'Stairway to Hell'," chuckled Chris.

"No, it's neither," said Dil.

"Maybe it's a 'Ghostly Stairway'?" said Andrew.

"Or a 'Dark Stairway'," added James.

"That's it!" exclaimed Dil.

"What is?" asked Andrew.

"It's a 'Dark Stairway'. We're a 'Dark Stairway'."

Andrew was confused. "I don't follow."

"We're a 'Dark Stairway'—all five of us! That's us! That's the band."

Andrew paused. "You're saying that the band's name is 'Dark Stairway'?"

Dil nodded. "Yes!"

Those present paused.

"Got to admit that it sounds pretty cool," said Johnny.

"It has some mysticism to it," said Chris.

"I agree," said James.

Andrew paused. "I'll add to what Johnny said, it does sound pretty cool. I've got to admit that you're pretty good with coming up with creative ideas, Dil."

Dil smiled. "Well, there you have it, everyone. There's a 'Dark Stairway rising', and we're certainly not going to play 'Album Oriented Rock'."

Those members of the newly christened 'Dark Stairway' laughed, and as they did so, Dil's cell phone rang. The Caller ID revealed the number to be Dil's parents.

"Hello?" said Dil, as he took the call in a room away from his bandmates.

"Hi, Dil," answered Didi, his mother. "Guess what? You've got a second cousin!"

"Oh, so Angelica gave birth?"

"Sure did—to a healthy baby boy!"

"Does he have a name?"

"Um, I think it's 'Ian Louis Pickles'."

"Did she name him after Ian Gillan and Grandpa Lou?"

Didi laughed. "I don't know about Ian Gillan, but definitely after your Grandpa Lou. Anyway, your father and I are going to go by the hospital and see him. Would like us to come by and get you?"

"Um, no, Mom, I'll drive by the hospital, and see him later."

"Okay, take care, Dil."

"Same to you—bye, Mom."

After Dil closed his cell phone, he turned to his bandmates. "Everyone, I'd like for us to play our first song as Dark Stairway together, and I'd like to dedicate it to someone special."

"And who's that?" asked Andrew.

"Someone special who just arrived into the world: Ian Louis Pickles." Dil secured his microphone and added, "Little Ian, this is going out to you from your second cousin, the 'Heavy Metal King David'."

Those present chuckled.

"'Heavy Metal King David'? Where did you get that idea from?" asked James.

"I have red hair, and my mother's Jewish."

"I don't get the red hair part," said Chris.

"King David supposedly had red hair," answered Dil.

"Ah, okay."

"Anyway," began Johnny, while he sat at his drum kit, "what song do you want to play, Dil?"

Dil quickly replied, "Iron Maiden's 'Brave New World'."