Chibiyu: *smiles* And here it is! The Final Chapter! (yes bad pun intended)
Nick: …stick to angst, humor is not for you.
Chibiyu: I know…Doesn't mean I can't have fun with it though!
IF ANY OF YOU THINK I OWN JONAS…think again.
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A growl sounded through the trees and Nick jumped, grabbing my hand like a life line. Cose stepped forward and peered into the trees.
"What the hell is that?"
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KEVIN'S POV
The fear on Nick's face was real as well as the shock on the four other protectors. A loud thud, like a footstep broke through the silence and Nick jumped again, this time clutching onto Joe's arm. And then the fear cleared from his eyes and understanding shone through.
"Oh shit." He whispered, dropping his sword. "Shit, shit, shit!"
"What is it?" We all asked in whispers but Nick didn't answer, he just continued whispering curse words, as if that could make it any better.
"Hey guys!" I screamed as the voice came from next to me and Katja smiled up at me, but it was strained. "I suggest you run now." She told us and all of us but Nick took a step back.
"Nick, come on!" Joe yelled, trying to pull his brother back as we heard the thing getting closer and closer.
Nick shook his head. "If we run, it will only be worse." He whispered, his voice trembling.
Neeta walked over to Katja and spoke a few words with her before her dark skin literally turned to the color of milk. "Are you sure?" She asked and Katja nodded.
"Katja…get my brothers out of here…" Nick ordered, his terror riding heavily on his voice. "Now!" Katja grabbed our hands and tried to pull us back.
"We aren't leaving you!" I shouted but Nick shook his head and turned to us, his eyes wide but determined.
"You don't have a choice." He paused, looking to everyone. "I'm sorry."
And then everything faded until there was nothing but black.
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NICK'S POV
Someone might look at this scene and wonder why I had the sudden change in heart. But even I didn't know. But as soon as I felt that sensation of something dark, something powerful, everything seemed to make itself clear. Now as I looked back, it was like I was looking through a shattered and dusty mirror, trying to make sense of everything around me. But now, the mirror was clean and repaired. Now I could think without guessing and without the hate I still felt, but was able to control.
I didn't want to face this alone but sometimes, something's had to be done by myself. Something's weren't worth dragging other people into to get hurt. And to do that, I had to be entirely alone…I can do this. I took in a deep breath and concentrated on the feeling of needing to be alone with this monster and I felt the world around me respond. I felt souls leaving, Henry going home without a single memory or scratch, the other people going to nowhere until this world was safe or if it fell…they would move on to another place. But at least I was certain that Joe and Kevin were safe. They were home.
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JOE'S POV
My first thought when I opened my eyes was; color! And then it was: color?
I looked around and desperately looked back, wanting to see my brother, where he should be, but no. It was only Katja, Kevin and me. The other four were gone; probably back to their own worlds. This was so wrong!
"Katja!" I called and she looked over to me, shock on her face. "Can you get us back?"
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NICK'S POV
I refused to step down though the thing thundered through the trees and I almost felt its sickly breath against my colder than normal skin. But it was only to be expected. Everyone was gone; my world was dying…so in a way, part of me was dying. But I didn't care. I knew that if I didn't take a stand here and now, it would only fester, grow, and follow me if I ran. I had to stop it or be consumed by it where no one else could be harmed by it…by me.
"You can't win." It whispered in the wind and I repressed a shudder. I heard its footsteps coming closer and closer and then I saw it's eyes through a break in the leaves. "So why even try?"
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KEVIN'S POV
"I can't…" Katja whispered sounding defeated as she looked to her hands. "He sealed it. It's only him now…"I starred at the distraught girl in shock. "Guys I am so sorry! For everything!" She sat on the ground, the long yellow grass hiding her small frame. "This was the field Nick first found Riptide." She told us, rambling, trying to delay the interrogation.
"Katja, it's ok." Joe told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We don't blame you…entirely."
"Yeah," I added in after smacking the back of Joe's head. "It's not your fault, it's ours. We should have helped Nick.
"And I should have let you in." We all jumped and saw Nick smiling at us as he stood from the tall grass. "I'm sorry guys." ()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()
NICK'S POV
I starred into the face of my enemy and I refused to back down.
"Oh, still fighting me I see?" He whispered, the temperature dropping ten more degrees and this time, I had to shiver. "Just barely." He smiled to me, walking around me looking me up and down. "So weak…thinking that love and light can save you…pathetic."
"You'd be surprised." I managed to whisper back and he smiled at me, the trees now growing icicles instead of ice. I came to realize as his hand rested on my shoulder that ice was covering my hands now as I stood, trying to hang onto my last defenses, but with them gone, it was hard.
"Forget them Nicky, Joe and Kevin never loved you. They knew about your problems at home and school. They knew that Stella thought you were losing talent and wouldn't rise again. They knew you turned down Macy for' 'her own good.' They knew it all." He sneered into my ear.
"No, they didn't. I kept it from them." I whispered, trying to believe myself but it was hard with his words swirling around me, so calm and so persuasive.
"They knew. That interview with Henry…it was real…" He spoke, his voice echoing loudly, sounding out of place in the now frozen and black wasteland that was my beautiful world. But no. I let him in. I let him manipulate me and this is the price I had to pay. But now I had to stop him. I had too…
"But you can't." He laughed, his dark eyes looking into mine and I saw this confidence, his laughter. "And deep down, you know it too."
I can…I know I can.
"You can't."
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KEVIN'S POV
This seemed too good to be true. Nick standing thee, brushing off his sleeves and walking towards us, his face inscribed in sorrow and yet, he seemed proud.
"Nick?" I asked as he made his way towards us. He nodded to his feet.
"I'm sorry I made you leave and that I ruined everything and hurt you and-" Joe cut him off, hugging him tightly and I joined a second later. But Katja was eyeing Nick oddly. And then she shivered, drawing her arms around her tightly and her lips turned blue.
"Katja?" Joe and I left go of Nick quickly and knelt down to her, hugging her and trying to warm her up. "What is going on?"
I looked to Nick and frowned as he just stood, there, watching the girl literally freeze to death. "Nick! Do something!" I ordered but he smiled.
"Why?"
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NICK'S POV
His hand dropped from my shoulder and I drew my arms around myself, trying in vain to keep out the cold he brought.
"Cold?" He joked, kicking a small tree and ice rained down, some scraping my exposed skin, but I didn't feel the pain. I was too numb. "You know who I am?"I nodded, looking into the pale skin face, going to the dark curly hair and the smug grin. "I am you…the better half…"
"T-the ev-evil o-one." I stuttered, trying to hold in everything but I couldn't.
He laughed darkly, turning his back to me. "Evil? No, dark maybe. This happens to everyone who lets their hate eat them like you have. I am too strong for you, just like everyone else's darkness." He explained. "How do you think Alisha, Neeta, Cose and Mike lost their worlds and world Kings and Queens." He turned back to me. "And now you shall fall too."
"S-so w-what ha-happens t-to y-you?" I forced out between chattering teeth as I ignored the growing ice on my world and myself. Think of the ones you love. Love is the opposite of hate…and happiness…how can I be happy now?
"I live…and move on to another world…get it?" He smiled, hugging me but I couldn't move away, my feet were frozen to the ground.
"N-no…" That was all I could say. I was too cold to even think now. So if my world died…I died? Or did I die and then my world? My brain is cold…hahaha brain freeze…I am pathetic.
"Yes, yes you are." The dark side mocked and it made sense he knew what I was thinking, since he was me. But I couldn't let him win. I couldn't.
"You have no choice."
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KATJA'S POV
This seemed wrong…so cold…why? Riptide…what was going on? I closed my eyes, feeling the brother's desperate attempts to warm me. But I knew it was futile. If Riptide was dying in the ice of Nick's heart, then so would Nick and I. We were both attached to the world just as he was this one. If Riptide died, we both followed it into nothing.
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JOE'S POV
"What do you mean, 'why?" I yelled at my brother and he laughed and shrugged walking away.
"Oh well, I didn't need this facade anyway." Nick laughed, tuning back to us. "Notice anything different about me?"
Same curls, same pale skin, same freckles, same voice…but different eyes. They were the same in everything but the emotions swirling behind them. Hate, anger, coldness was all I could see.
"That's right brothers." He laughed spreading his arms, wind blowing around us. "I am not the Nick you love. But then again…did you really love him?" He mused aloud, crossing his arms and looking to the sky. "You left him alone to die, you left him alone to deal with everything bad that was happening to him…you even accepted a duel to the death." He laughed and the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I tried not to shiver as a cold wind blasted in our face. "That doesn't sound like love to me."
I crossed my arms and Kevin glared, giving up hugging Katja who had stood somehow in her shivering.
"What have you done to Nick?" She demanded her voice quite strong for her condition.
'Nick' laughed. "I only showed him how strong his hate and how cold his anger was…and he suffered from the consequence of falling into it. Of letting me take over and destroy him." He laughed, bellowing loud and insanely. "Oh, how funny. But enough talk. This world is mine. Those who dared cross me and hate me and make my life miserable shall freeze in the depth of my own revenge. And everyone in between shall suffer as well. Why not spread the hate?" He smiled, looking to the sky and dark clouds rolled in out of nowhere, the sun completely disappearing and everything growing colder. "After all…its better to never love than to love and lose."
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NICK'S POV
I watched him leave, his laugh still echoing throughout the land. I couldn't move; I was too cold. I didn't deserve this and neither did anyone who at home. It was my fault Joe and Kevin and Katja and everyone on earth and in Riptide had to suffer from my hate and anger. And now I had to save them from it all, but how?
It's no use…I can't do this.
I'm sorry Joe and Kevin and everyone. I can't do it. I closed my eyes, waiting for it all to just end in my sorrow. I failed to see the small flower poking through the ice covered ground.
I'm sorry…I failed.
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KEVIN'S POV
Snow and hail started falling from the clouds, in summer, which was weird enough, but it was weirder knowing that our brother…wait…was he? Anyway, that a person was doing this.
"What are you doing?" Joe yelled at the dude making it snow but he just laughed.
"I think I already covered that." He stated, his voice laughing as the snow covered the ground at an unnatural speed. "Now…feel my wraith…feel the hate."
Suddenly everything around me froze and died before my eyes, the grass wilting and the school in the building shimmering with ice. I shivered as it felt like the ice was inside me, freezing my very blood. Is this what Nick was feeling? What Katja was feeling?
Wait…if Nick's world was frozen…what happened to the cloud shaped bunnies?
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KATJA'S POV
This can't be it. This can't be the final chapter for both Riptide and the Earth, this can't be it! I fell to me knees, shivering uncontrollably. We can't hold out much longer under the chilling influence of the hate that lies in everyone's hearts. Because one heart can't do this. Nick's hate was festering inside everyone and drawing power and freezing the world until the warmth of love had no hold on anything. It wasn't easy to beat hate…in fact, most of the time, it was impossible. But thank goodness Nick isn't a girl. Because we all knew that Hell hath no fury like a women's scorn.
"Do you feel it?" Nick's hate asked as he smiled to us with no real joy or humor. "Do you feel the hate's cold breath freezing your veins? Do you feel how my Light's death is bringing more anger and Darkness to this world?" He spread his arms insanely, twirling in the foot of snow. "And why stop here? Once this world is frozen and burning in Hell, I should move onto another…and another…no one can stop me!"
One person can…but not alone. But was he still alive? How could he be…Riptide would be colder than the ice age now and he would be the first to freeze, first to die. But I would have died as well…so hope lives on. I hope.
"Haha, I'm freezing the world, I'm freezing the world!" Nick's Darkness laughed and sang, jumping around like an idiot and smiling like a kid with an ice cream cone. "Don't like the cold my brother?" He joked, poking Joe in the shoulder and jumping over to Kevin, laughing in his face. "Too bad! It will only get colder…and colder…and…WHY THE HELL IS IT NOT GETTING COLDER?"
"That would be me." We all turned, shivering turning to shuddering from the cold but we all managed to drop our jaw.
"Nick!" We all yelled and he nodded to us, eyes on his Darkness.
"I'm sorry guys. I should have just spoken to you instead of running away." He told us, looking to his feet before raising his gaze again. We didn't answer; we didn't know what to say. "I was no less than a jerk and I need to make it right." He calmly stated, his Dark growling, hand going to his sword and Nick smiled softly, making no move to his nonexistent weapons.
At least the cold has stopped getting colder.
"You." The Dark growled and Nick smiled and I saw the plan in his eyes but I couldn't read it.
"Me." And then Nick ran, full speed to the Dark, grabbing him by his shoulders and hitting the snow with a poof. I stood on my tip toes and then flung myself into the snow when a sword swished through the air, right where my head would have been. I stood to see Joe taking a step back from a dagger and Kevin kicking away the bow and bolts.
I grabbed Joe and Kevin and pulled them back as Nick stood and brushed off the snow, his face still calm and as his Dark growled when he discovered he was weaponless. But he could still control things here…could Nick? He seemed to be thinking along the same lines but he didn't do anything. He had another plan. He turned his back to his Dark and walked to his brothers, his face hardening with every step and I realized that even though he was sorry, this was still hard for him.
Joe and Kevin ran the rest of their way and hugged him tightly, Nick burrowing into their embrace.
"Sniveling into the shoulders that reject you? Pathetic." Dark Nick laughed, kicking up the snow and watching the brothers in disgust. And then he turned his gaze to me. And smiled. "Idea alert!"
"You won't hurt them!" Nick yelled, pulling out of the hug.
Dark laughed. "No…but they can hurt you!"
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Chibiyu: Hahah. I never said there wouldn't be an epilogue…or if I did, I lied. Until next (and now last) Update!