"Final Knight"
by Zaxxon

Forever Knight and its characters belong to Tristar and Others.
No infrigment is meant. This work is simply meant to releave the
author's mood.... This work is copyrighted by "Zaxxon."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

	The irony of the situtation was not lost on him. He was called
Nicholas de Bradant, Nick Knight, and other names over the millennium.
As he stood looking over the cliffs, he thought back over history that
brought he here, to this point.
	He began with 1228, the year he was 'brought across' as it was
called. He remembered the good times along with the bad. Highlighting
his time with Janette... with Natalie... and even the times with
LaCriox.
	He remember the time when the truth finally came out. That vampires
were not limited to myth... That vampires were real. He was still
amazed that the fear, the retrubition, and other such worries never
materialized. Still the Human race welcomed its lost children back.
Entire night shifts became full of vampires, or sunlight-challanged
people. What medicine learned from Vampires, Death became a distant
friend that visited only once in a while. Nick had forgotten -- never
really learned -- the name of the substance that replace human blood
in a vampire's diet. He simplied called them "protein shakes." He also
remembered Natalie's frown and elbow, when he accidently called them
that.
	The "protein shakes" were better than human blood, a lot easier
to attain, better tasting, and more diversified. Nick made a fortune
when he opened a restaurant that served that and other dishes. For the
first time, in a long time, he that called himself Nicholas, felt
happy to be live. For a number of centuries, he was. But as they say, 
"All good things come to an end." The end in this case came from the 
Stars.
	A metorite had crashed into some unknown, remote area had brought
a visitor with it. The visitor was a simple virus. A virus that was
extra-solar system origin. The news spread like wild fire. Sure,
microrobes had been found on Mars and small pockets within the solar
system, but those could be traced back to Earth or Sol itself. This
virus was unique in Human understanding. Humans being Humans had to
investigate it, study it, and analyze it.
	Nick remembered another old saying, "Curiusity killed the cat."
After only two months of study, the virus escaped and infected the
populace. In the general populace, the extra-solar virus was no
greater danger than the it's terran cousin the "Common Cold." A few
went into comas. But to a vampire, the virus was fatal.
	They who would live forever, were dying, and he, Nicholas de
Bradant, who was called the reluctant vampire, was the last. He who
didn't want to live forever, had outlived those some called the "ever
living." Oh, there were those who sought a cure for the virus but they
met with failure.
	The irony made Nick laugh. They who were immortal, were dead.
They who were mortal, would live to see the next millennium. Nick even
heard that whose that went into a coma were coming out it their coma
different, stronger, with abilities belong to stories and myths. But
Nick didn't care. He knew he had only a few days at most to life. So
he came here. To remember. To remember the friends he lost over time
and the friends he would lose.
	His last thought were of Janette and Natalie as the first rays of
the suns striked him. Janette, his love of the past, gone with the
rest of the vampires, and Natalie, his love of the futurre, gone, too.
She would see the next millennium but without he who saw the last. He
had hoped to compare the two, the old and the new, but it was not to
be.
	Sunlight surprised him with her warmth. Did not burn despite
the smoke, it was gentle despite the blisters, and he could hear
singing despite being alone. Nicholas de Bradant was happy once more.

	The newspapers the next day had "Last vampire dies" as its
headline. Some felt sorrrowful at the lost, some felt joy at Nick's
happiness, and most simply continued on.

Name:

Email Address:

Comments: