"He was running, he wasn't sure what, but he knew something was chasing him. Something horrible. His palace home was almost unrecognizable in this eerie light. His heart began to beat faster as the thundering footsteps grew closer. He ran into a garden he had never seen before, down to the edge of a cliff he couldn't remember. With shock he saw his twin standing there, in the arms of cloaked figure. The look of fear on his brother's face tore his heart to pieces. He heard the thing behind him catch up but couldn't tear his eyes away from the shadow creature holding his brother. It's fingers were long an bony, it was clad in a black cloak and assumed the shape of what might have been a man. The arms were too long, past the creatures knees and where they face should be was darkness 'sept for two glowing orbs that might have been it's eyes. He cried out to his brother but watched in horror as the thing drew a blade of white fire from his cloak. He tried to close his eyes not wanting to see his brothers death, but the thing behind him held them open. He watched in fear and sickness as the blade came crashing down, meeting the horrible screams from his twin. He cried out as what had once been his brother fell to the cold floor. The very breath caught in his throat as the Thing turned towards him and began to step closer...."

Zane Cobriana sighed as he heard the usual screams coming from his son's room. "Wake up Danica" he whispered, gently shaking his wife "Vasili's up again."

"You'd think that he'd be over these by the age of 17." Danica hissed, waking her up was never a safe bet. Together they headed towards their son's room, in a very familiar routine.

"Vasili what's...." Danica stopped in shock looking at her son's sleeping forms.

"Asleep?" Zane whispered the confusion showing on his handsome face. "But..."

The screaming commenced and Danica and Zane's eyes met with a sudden understanding. With sudden energy they ran across the hall into their oldest son's room.

"Zaire!" Danica yelled out in panic, shaking her son. Never once, even since Zaire was a child had he had troubles with night terrors. His sudden burst of fear was confusing, and a little scary.

Zaire awoke sweat dripping down his forehead. "Mom.." he whispered, his voice quivering. "You can't let them get him.. you can't, you just can't!!!"

"Zaire, who are you talking about, who's in trouble?"

"Vasili" Zaire tightly clasped his hands over his ears, rocking back and forth. "You have to protect him, you can't let them. You have to..."

"I'm right here Zaire." Vasili's arrive startled the rest. Yet none of them could match the sheer terror on his fair face. "It's okay Zaire, I'm fine I promise." He sat beside his brother wrapping his arms around his slender frame.

Zaire took in a few struggled deep breaths trying as he may to control his composure. "It was just a dream." He whispered not quite convinced himself. "I'll be fine.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Danica asked, assuming the motherly role she so well perceived.

"No, it's childish." Zaire quickly changed from his moment of hysteria and let the cool avian reserve was over him. "I'm going back to bed, you might as well."

Danica and Zane shook their heads, as long as they live they'd never figure either of their son's out.

"I think I'm going to sleep in here." Vasili stated, clearly as rattled as his twin. "You know just incase Zaire freaks out again." A smile twitched the corner of Zaire's mouth, but he wasn't about to refuse his brother.

Danica and Zane left the room as Vasili lowered himself beside Zaire. "Are you sure you're okay?" He whispered to his twin. "I'm always the one having nightmares, not you."

"It just seemed so real, that's all." Zaire said, trying to convince his brother as much as himself. "I'll be fine I promise."

Vasili laid his head on his brothers shoulder. "Well if you have another one just wake me up."

Zaire would have added a sharp comment, but before the words escaped his lips he was met with the sound of his brothers slow even breaths. Sleeping. He too let his eyes close, hoping that his dreams would be safe from nightmares.

He felt the dream come on again and tried to wake himself up, but the nightmare's pull was too strong and he fell into the world of his fears:

Zaire tried to run as the Thing came towards him, but with horrible strength the creature behind him grabbed hold of his arms. He turned to see who his capture was, but suddenly wished he hadn't.

The creature must have been a man at one time, but not for a very long while. His eyes had lost they're shine and sunk back into his skull, dead flesh clung in only a few places and hung in the rest. Tendon's hung from his arms and only patches of long greasy hair remained on his head. It gave Zaire a wide toothy grin, showing off soiled dead teeth, soon the stench of rot and death met Zaire's nose and the fear was complete. "Does my assistant frighten you Prince?" Zaire turned back towards the thing, it's voice echoed with snaps and crackles of energy his blade of fire still in his bony hands. "Who are you?" he whispered trying to keep the fear from his voice, and failing.

"I am called Labarith, my pet." The name was well fitting and sent a shiver down Zaire's back. He let out a whimper of fear as Labarith raised a bony finger to his cheek. His whole body suddenly froze, never once had he been this cold, so cold that he couldn't imagine ever being warm again. "This is the end my Prince." Labarith hissed raising his sword high into the air Zaire cringed prepared for the end...."

With a shock was knocked back into the consious world. He turned toward his brother touching his chest, relieved by the steady beating of his heart. He let out a sigh of relief and began to relax again. Before he could completely fall back into the warm safety of his covers he saw to his horror Labarith and his "assistant" at the foot of his bed.

"Hello my Prince." Labrith's voice was filled with the same crackle of energy.

"Vasili, Vasili wake up." Zaire shook his brother...

Vasili awoke in a frenzy of fear and astonishment..."WHAT!" His brother was shaking and his skin pasty. Zaire raised one shaking finger, pointing towards the end of his bed. "Look." His voice quivered in fear. Vasili looked up slowly, prepared for the worst, he shut his eyes tightly, turning his head to the end of the bed. Then slowly he opend them to see............. Nothing. Nothing he could see was in the room, the only thing at foot of his brothers bed was empty air. "I don't see anything Zaire."

Zaire whimpered in fear as Labarith and his goon let out another sick crackle of laughter. His brother, his twin, his best friend couldn't even help him now. Zaire Shardae –Cobriana was completely alone...

AN.

Hope you liked it!!!! I'm warning you now that I can only write every other weekend because the computer at my computer doesn't work so I can only work on it at my dads. And that's only if I get enough reviews.

Thanks to:

Bookwormsrok- I love your review. I'm so glad you appreciate Vasili and Zaire, I love them too!!!

Anti-botox- Thank you Very much. I hope this is soon enough for you!

AKC925- Thank you also I'm sorry it took so long!

Lonerloserwolf- Yes you are contributing, glad you like the story.

And thanks to everyone else who reviewed. You have to review again or I won't post the next chapter!!!!
And remember it'll take me a little bit longer.

Eternal Love,

Gwynevier