Key of Darkness: Ho ho hum.
Justin: I'm still bored.
Jesse/throws a ball at him/
Justin/Catches it/ Cool, thanks/ start bouncing it against the wall/
Key of Darkness/looks annoyed/
Justin: Hee hee!
Key of Darkness: STOP THAT!
Justin/ freezes/ sorry….
Justin sat on his bed two nights later, contemplating the conversation he had had with the still nameless voices. He had a feeling that he knew one for them from somewhere, but he couldn't quite remember it. He hated that feeling. He hated it with a passion.
/ seems you have your powers under control. /
Justin jumped. It was the second voice, the impatient one. He hadn't been expecting it.
/ skittish…/
"No thanks to you."
/ No need to get snarky. I am merely here to help. /
"Huh."
/ Take it or leave it. /
"I don't want people talking to me in my head, reminding me just how insane and useless I am."
/ Useless? Stupid on occasion maybe, but useless? I don't think so. /
"I do. So far you're the only one that's come back to me because of their own free will."
/ Are you so sure about that/
"My friends don't call. They forget me. Correction, they have forgotten me. Correction again, they forgot me long ago. I just seem to pop up every now and then."
/ Justin…they haven't forgotten you. They are just merely too tied up and busy to remember you. Once they slow down and rest, you won't be able to get away from them. /
Justin felt the tears start to roll down his face and he angrily brushed them away.
/ It's true. Especially of Carlos and Rocky, the two people who matter most to you. Carlos is on a quest up in space and is pining for you, and Rocky is in Canada, still morning the loss of his brother. /
Justin gasped. He had no idea…
/ Daniel, car crash. He got told just before he picked up the phone to call you. He went to the funeral, then ran, disappearing out of Angel Grove. I'll give you the address if you want. /
"I had no idea. Poor Rocky…"
"Poor Rocky what?" a voice came from the door.
/ Or not… see yah/
Justin turned round slowly. Standing in the doorway was Rocky. He looked tiered and worn out, like butter spread over to much bread, but it was him.
"Poor Rocky what?"
Justin stood up and debated what to say. Rocky waited, calmly, well as calmly as one could when they where still getting over the loss of a brother.
"I heard about… Daniel."
Rocky sighed and ran a hand wearily through his hair. "Who told you?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"If there is a voice in your head too, then we're either not mad, or we're mad together."
"You too?"
"I take that as a yes?"
Justin nodded, yet to take a step towards the person he had once called an almost big brother.
They stood still for awhile and it was then the Justin spotted the necklace that Rocky was wearing. It was a silver key on a chain. So they were in this together were they?
Before he could speak, Rocky took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy. Justin Relaxed, leaning into the hug and returning it.
Rocky hadn't forgotten him, and what Tommy had said a few week earlier was becoming clearer.
He wasn't angry at him any more, just sorry that he hadn't been there to help his poor friend through the suffering.
Justin and Rocky stayed in each others arms for what seemed to be only a few seconds, but in reality, time had past much quicker. Rocky patted the young boys back and let his go, looking down at him.
"How are you doing?" Justin asked carefully. He didn't want to upset his friend.
"As well as I can. I think I'm over the worst."
/ But there's still tomorrow
Forget the sorrow
And I can't be on the last train home
Watch it pass the day
As it fades away
No more time to care
No more time today …. /
Justin nodded. Rocky sighed.
"About three months after I gave up my powers… I finally stopped being so run off my feet. One thing to remember Justin, College sucks."
Justin smiled and laughed quietly.
"It was really spooky. I went to pick up the phone to call you, and … just as I touched it… it rang. It was the hospital. They said Daniel was in ICU and that we should come right away. So we did. I packed up everyone in the house… and we went. But when we got there… he…he was gone…" tears started to roll down Rocky's face. Justin Reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"The funeral… I just got so upset that I got in the car and just drove."
"And you ended up in Canada."
"Yeah. I though I was..."
"… Going crazy."
"Yeah, the voices. They can in spits and spatters, but it was really weird."
/ Grrrr…/
"But out!" Justin snapped. "Thanks for the help but ping off for a while!"
/ I'm going, I'm going/
Key of Darkness/ flexes hand with newly strapped fingers carefully/ Bummer.
Justin: what have you done now?
Key of Darkness: Jarred my finger.
Justin: Well that was a stupid thing to do.
Jesse: Give me a look.
Key of Darkness/ holds out hand for inspection/
Jesse: yep, that jarred. Ice it.
Key of Darkness: Melted.
Justin: while they argue over her finger, I just let you know that chapters for all stories are going to be few and far between for the next month at least. She's in the school musical and everything is all over the place at the moment, so please bear with us for a while. See Yah!