“Fatima? What are you doing here?” Johnny pokes his head over Lynn’s shoulder. He leans out the door and looks around, “Where?”
“I brought the boys, we came the conventional way. Will they be safe here?” She asks.
“Yes, for now anyway. How are they doing?”
“Their scared to death, why didn’t I get a warning and why am I the only one for them when you have Darren here to help you with your charges?”
“I’ve no clue. We need to get them inside. Have you told them anything? What do they know?” Johnny berated.
“They don’t know anything. Seems they all just came into this within the last 24 hours. I don’t understand what’s going on here.”
“Look woman, we need to get them inside. We’ll figure it all out together. Go get your boys and bring them in here.” Johnny states.
Fatima gestures towards a white van sitting on the other side of the street and five men emerge from it. They quickly make their way across the street and Johnny escorts them into the living room where the others were worrying over JC.
As soon as Kevin and Brian walk into the room JC comes to, “What happened? Where…” He looks around the room, his eyes locking with Brian’s. “You…I…In..vision…” He grabs the “Book”, pulling it to his chest and closing his eyes. When he opens them, they are glowing. He lays the “Book” in his lap. opens the cover, and places his hands over it,
When the pages stopped moving JC reads the page,
JC glares up at Chris, “Shhh!” he hisses. Lifting his hands over the “Book” again. “Not done yet.” The pages begin moving again. Stopping once again, JC reads what is displayed before him,
Brian moves across from JC and places his hands over the “Book” in the same manner as JC. The pages begin moving again. When the pages stop JC reads what has been revealed,
Heaven’s power shall be bestowed,
Upon the strong,
Heaven’s knowledge shall be bestowed,
Upon the wise.
“Well,” Brian starts. “I was getting ready to take a shower this morning and when I was standing outside the bathroom talking with my…with Nick I said I was going to take a shower and the thing turned on all by itself. I searched the room and no one was there. I come down stairs and find Nick standing in the kitchen holding a match. When I asked him what he was doing, he told me he’d had this weird vision thing where he lit a match just by thinking about it, so he tried it and it happened.”
“See watch.” Nick pulls a book of matches out of his pocket and stares at it. It bursts to life after a few seconds.
“Can I see one of those?” Lance asks.
“Sure,” Nick hands the book over and Lance takes one out and stares at it, it too bursts into flames.
“Ok, is anyone else freaking out about this?” Justin questions. He moves as close to JC as he can without actually touching him.
“How long has this been going on?” JC questions, placing a hand on Justin’s knee and rubbing in a gentle, soothing motion. Justin is soon calmed and when JC’s eyes meet AJ’s he sees that he has also calmed considerably since he’d walked into the house. “Why don’t you come sit over here?” he states without taking his eyes from those of AJ’s.
AJ moves quickly and quietly to his other side. This causes a little jealous vibe to emit from Joey who is stuck on the other side of the room between Chris and Kevin.
{Shhh…Easy baby, you know I only want you. Don’t be like that.}
Brian smiles but says nothing verbally, {You do realize I can hear you, right?}
JC’s eyes quickly leave those of Joey’s dark ones and meet Brian’s blue ones, {How…When?}.
{Can’t answer that. This is the first time I’ve ever done this. Can’t say I’ve ever noticed this before and I’m pretty sure I’d remember something like this.}
JC smiles, “So you guys just got your powers?”
“Yes, if that’s what you want to call this.” Kevin growls. “Although I’ve still to see what Fatima keeps claiming is my power.”
Joey turns to him, “What is yours supposed to be?”
“I’m supposed to be a healer. What ever that means.” Kevin grumbles.
“Cool, Josh? Can I?”
“Yes, but…” He trails off as Joey runs for the kitchen. When Joey returns JC rises and stretches an arm out, “Let him try.”
Joey pulls Kevin to his feet, “I’m gonna cut him. All you have to do is place your hand over the cut and concentrate on it healing. Ok?”
“What?”
“Shit…Damn that hurts.” JC winces as Joey cuts a deep gash along his arm.
“Now no cheating Josh. He has to do this himself.” Joey smiles.
“Yeah, yeah. I know.”
Kevin raises his hand and holds it over the cut. He closes his eyes only to have JC tap him on the shoulder, “It works better if you look at the cut. Concentrate on the cut. See it healed in your mind.”
Everyone in the room held their breath as the cut slowly closed until there was no mark left on JC’s arm at all. A loud cheer went through the room just as Kevin collapsed.
“Shit,” JC whispers as he drops to his knees next to the older man. “Brian, come here. Joey you too.” JC holds his hands over Kevin’s body and slowly moves them down his body. He looks up and glances from Johnny to Darren. When his eyes land on Fatima he glares, “What is this? Their powers aren’t like ours. What have you done to them?”
Fatima looks from Johnny to Darren, “I did nothing. I arrived at the house as instructed by the elders. Whatever this is, it’s their doing, not mine.”
Lynn steps forward, “Perhaps we should place the boy on the couch. I don’t think that there is anything wrong JC. I just think their powers have been bound til now. Something or someone has unbound their powers and now they must be trained to use them as you boys have been.”
JC looks to Lynn, “If you’re sure.”
Lynn nods, “Perhaps…perhaps there is something in the “Book” that could explain.”
“God, not the ‘Book’ again. Does that thing ever give a straight answer?” Chris whines.
“Christopher.” JC warns. He ensures that Kevin is comfortably settled on the couch, Lance having moved to sit next to Chris. He opens the “Book” and begins his ritual.
Johnny takes Darren’s hand who grabs Fatima’s hand, “We’ll be back soon.” The three of them orb out of the room.
“So. She’s a white lighter too.” Justin states.
“Man…What happened.” Kevin grumbles as he comes to. “Wow, someone got some aspirin? My head is killing me.”
Joey leans over him, “I got something better than aspirin.” He takes JC’s hand and the two of them hold their hands over Kevin’s forehead for a few minutes then pull away. “How you feeling now?”
Kevin sits up, “Ok…I am officially in the freaked out section with your curly friend over there.”
“Well…” JC begins taking Kevin’s hand and helping him sit up. “Perhaps we should all introduce ourselves since it looks like we may be spending a good bit of time together in the near future. I’ll go first. I’m JC or Josh.”
“I’m Justin,” Justin speaks up.
“Chris.”
“Lance.”
“Joey.”
“Howie.”
“Nick.”
“Brian.”
“AJ.”
“And I’m Kevin.” Kevin completes the circle.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you all.” Lynn smirks from her place in the hall. “I’m Lynn, Justin’s mother and this is Diane, Lance’s mom. We’d be happy to answer what ever questions we can. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to answer many but with the boys here, we should be able to handle some of them.”
The boys take their seats once again on the floor and couch. Oddly enough the way they ended up arranging themselves JC was in the center, the others forming a complete circle around him.
After a few minutes of eerie silence JC stirred. He turned his head and looked at each boy, “Ok, I guess I’ll start.”
A collective exhalation from the 9 other boys in the room sounds excessively loud in the quiet room.
“Well, the last passage, it was talking about powers being bound right?”
Lynn nods.
“Ok…so…” JC closes his eyes and raises his hands to shoulder level. “Someone near you has recently died,” he meets first Kevin’s gaze then that of Brian’s. He then closes his eyes again. He suddenly opens his eyes again, grabs the book and recites,
For twenty-four hours
From seven to seven
I will understand all meaning
Of the words from here to heaven.
I take your hands in mine
And with this string,
I will entwine
Your powers I’ll for bind
From now until the end of time
There are three ways for this spell to be broken.
The first is the easiest and most pleasant way – the one who bound the powers can reverse the spell.
The second – the one who bound the powers has died.
And third – the bound one has come in contact, either conscious or unconscious, with a mage, wizard or other magical being.
“Why do you keep looking at us? No one I know has died recently. What about you Bri?” Kevin states.
“No, it would have to be someone who knows all five of you. Cuz all five of you are just now getting your powers correct?” JC questions.
All five newcomers nod.
“So it can’t be the second one.” JC contemplates.
As JC is thinking the three white lighters return.
“I think we may have a few answers for you boys.” Johnny states.
“Good thing we’re already sitting,” Chris quips.
Johnny shoots him a glare and continues, “First off, about your new powers.”
“They are the ‘Powers of the Elements’ that Darren told us about the first time we met him. From what I’ve gathered, I have the power of water. Justin the power of wind, Lance Fire, Joey spirit and Chris Earth. Right?” JC finishes. He takes a deep breath then asks, “Only thing I don’t get is…Well two things actually…What are Wizards and how did I become one?”
“You didn’t BECOME one. You were born one. We finally got an answer from ‘The Elders’ about why you are so much stronger and more powerful than the rest of the boys.” Johnny states. “If you’ll just relax and let us explain a few things then maybe we’ll be able to come up with a few answers between us. ‘The Elders’ are just as baffled as we are about how this came about.”
“Wait!” Justin exclaims. “I thought you all said that JC was half white lighter and half witch. I know I’m young and all but if that’s the case, then how can he be a Wizard? I know I didn’t do that poorly in math.”
“Well, it seems…” Johnny begins, “He’s not half white lighter and half witch. He’s only a quarter of each of those things plus he is half Wizard.”
“Ok,” Chris says. “Say that we believe this for a minute. What exactly is a wizard and why does it explain why JC is stronger?”
JC becomes silent, opens the ‘Book’ and places his hands over it. None of the others in the room seemed to notice as the pages slowly started flipping. When the pages stop JC reads what is displayed before him aloud.
Wizards are most effective in battle.
Second to none in casting powerful offensive spells
.
They are common in dark elves, high elves and humans.
They must have someone sturdy to protect them during battle
.
They can not clothe themselves in metal or they risk losing their strength.
Learning to harness the power takes the knowledge of the elements.
Suddenly there is a brilliant light and a strange figure appears in their midst. The figure silently walks towards JC as it begins to speak, “You are of the clan. If ever you need our assistance call and we shall find you. This belonged to your father. (The figure holds out a small medallion.) Cherish it well, it shall save your life many times.” Having said this the figure vanishes into the same bright light it had appeared in.
“Ok…” Kevin states. “What the hell is going on around here? Someone needs to start explaining quickly cuz I’m moving past freaked real quick.”
JC walks over and places a hand on Kevin’s shoulder, “You’ll be fine. We are complete now.” He turns to Johnny, “Our strength is in our powers. We must teach them quickly how to master them. Rise and follow me.” He begins walking towards the basement, the other nine boys following closely behind him. Once in the basement, “We shall work together to train them. One on one we must do this. Lance with Nick, Justin with AJ, Kevin with Joey, Chris with Howie and Brian you will work with me.”
Brian walks over near JC, “Um…am I gonna have ‘all’ the same powers as you or just your witch powers? Cuz you seem to be getting stronger every time I look at you. It’s a bit scary. No offense or anything.”
“I don’t know, probably just the witch ones. I haven’t really noticed any other powers yet. Just the water thing. The reading minds and being able to talk with people without actually talking, well..I’ve had that since forever.”
“What about that blue glowing thing you had going on when you working with the ‘Book’? When did that start?” Brian asked.
“What blue glowing thing?”
“It’s happened once before,” Joey states from his place with Kevin. “Back when we first came into our powers. Remember when we fought the Grimlock Josh? You were standing outside, you had your arms up at shoulder level and your eyes closed. You stood there for a good 5 minutes before Lynn drug you in the house.”
“Really? I don’t remember that at all. All I remember about that is defeating the Grimlock. I don’t remember the trip back to the house or anything before the vanguishing.” JC states, confusion clear on his chiseled face. “Lance! Don’t you even think about it. What if he doesn’t catch it? You could burn the house down.”
Lance turns and looks at JC, “What? I wasn’t…”
“Just a warning.” JC states. “You either Nick.”
Suddenly Nick moves his hands in a quick throwing gesture and a small fireball flies out of it. Justin turns quickly and freezes it. JC concentrates on the frozen fireball which is slowly becoming a ball of ice.
“Wow Josh, when’d you learn that?” Justin squeals, grabbing JC and planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek.
AJ walks over to the suspended ball of ice and grabs it, “Man this is so cool. Is Bri gonna be able to do that too?”
“Yes,” JC states. “Joey, move. Shit.” He moves quickly to where Joey is lying on the floor from the board that Howie and Chris had been hovering across the basement. Kevin is already kneeling over him attempting to at least stem the blood flowing from the back of his head. “Move, let me in.” JC places his hands over the wound. “Come on, heal.”
Brian comes over, “Can I help?” He moves in and takes JC’s hands in his and whispers to JC, “Perhaps together we can do this.”
They both concentrate on the wound and sure enough within seconds the wound is gone and Joey is rising off the floor trying to figure out what had happened.
He looks up at JC and smiles, “Thanks baby.”
“My pleasure.” JC states and leans in, placing a kiss to Joey’s lips.
“Hey…” Justin pushes between the bodies crowded around Joey, “Break it up. Nothing to see here. Hey you two, no fair. No making out without the baby.”
“Sorry,” Joey snickers, “But he kissed me first.”
“Don’t care. None of this without me.” Justin smirks and crawls into Joey’s lap.
“Think we might wanna take a break for a bit. They don’t look like their getting off the floor anytime soon.” Brian states, getting up and heading for the stairs. “Half hour and we’re coming back down here. Get ‘that’ out of your system so we can get some work done.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Joey grumbles.
The other boys all head for various areas to play while the three in the basement work out a few anxieties. A short time later three very relaxed young men made their way out of the basement and into chaos.