All was quiet over at the Nekohanten, despite the low level of panic and anxiety that was slowly creeping into the souls of people in the dark and outright terror for those whom were in the know. The reason for the quiet was that outside of the Cat Café was a war horse, whose coat was an unearthly sheen of pale green with eyes that were grey as old ash; the magnificent beast tied to the entrance door’s handle with its bridle. The owner of said horse lay within the walls of the Chinese restaurant, sitting at a table, having tea with the owner.
A figure of pure white skin clad in the robes of a monk from a Medieval European Brotherhood over a black chain-mail suit and a sheathed long-sword tied around his waist brought a small painted porcelain tea-cup to his lips and then slowly sipped. He slowly placed the cup down and gave the woman a disarming smile, showing teeth that were very much like pearls. “AH, THANK YOU, MY ESTEEMED KHU-LONG,” the figure said in all seriousness. “I APPRECIATE YOU REMEMBERING MY FAVORITE TEA. IT HAS BEEN QUITE A LONG WHILE SINCE WE’VE LAST MET AND I UNDERSTAND THAT MEMORY TENDS TO FADE IN MORTALS WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME.”
Taking the tea-pot in her hands, the diminutive matriarch of the Joketsuzoku Amazons began to pour tea into her own cup. “I must admit, it’s not often one gets a social call from Death himself,” he said in all seriousness. “I had expected the next time we met would be when my time had come.”
“I AM OFTEN FULL OF SURPRISES... BUT YOU MUST UNDERSTAND I TEND TO LEAVE CLUES THAT I WILL BE VISITING,” the fourth member of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse replied in all seriousness. “UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, IT’S NOT JUST YOURSELF I AM HERE FOR.”
Cologne nodded her head. “I knew this was the end of all. I have heard the screams, checked the news reports to see the confusion of the masses... before you killed my television...” she gave him a meaningful glare.
The supreme entity held up his hands in a defensive manner. “OH, DON’T GIVE ME THAT. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW I COULD ALSO KILL ELECTRONICS BY JUST TOUCHING THEM? I MERELY SOUGHT TO CHANGE THE CHANNEL.” He defended himself, trying to ease the woman’s tensions concerning his actions by giving her an honest explanation.
Shaking her head, the old woman let off a sigh. “I understand but it just irks me that the Rapture of all things is upon us in my life-time and I don’t have a television set to see how the main-stream of humanity is taking to it.”
Nodding his head, the figure of neither Celestial nor Infernal nature replied, “YOU KNOW, IT WOULDN’T BE OUT OF CHARACTER IF YOU JUST STOLE ONE. LOOTING IS GOING TO PICK UP SHORTLY ONCE PEOPLE REALIZE WHAT’S GOING ON. HELL, IT STARTED HAPPENING ALL OVER NEW YORK AND HONG KONG WHEN PEOPLE DISAPPEARD; PANIC ALREADY RULES AS MY BROTHER CONQUEST GOES FORTH.”
Raising an eyebrow, Cologne inquired, “Conquest? I thought it was pestilence.”
The pale-skinned being snorted. “COMMON MEDIA MISCONCEPTION. PESTILLENCE WILL FOLLOW WITH THE FIFTH SEAL BREAKING BUT SUCH IS NOT THE FORTE OF I OR ANY OF MY BROTHERS.” He then slowly reached forward and gently took the tea-pot from Cologne, being careful not to touch her fingers. Raising the small intricately designed tea-pot, he began to pour himself another cup of tea.
Watching as the being that was the final reality check began to drink from his tea, the aged woman began to ask,“I am surprised to see you looking like such. The last time we met, you were robed completely and carried and scythe rather than a sword.” She raised an eyebrow as she added, “Also the goatee is new.”
The being chuckled a bit as she pointed out that aspect of his appearance. “IT’S SYMBOLIC,” Death replied. “I AM CHANGED WITH ARMAGEDDON. I AM NOT THE SIMPLE FARMER TO COLLECT SOULS. NOW I MUST BE THE WARRIOR TO SLAY ONE-FOURTH OF THE PLANET WITH THE EDGE OF MY BLADE, WITH HUNGER AND THE BEASTS FROM WITHIN THE EARTH.”
Nodding her head slowly, the Elder of the Amazons inquired, “And the beard?”
Smiling, Death raised his right hand, stroking the gray whiskers. “PERSONAL TASTE. I’M TRYING TO APPEAR AS MORE THAN A SKELETON; DIFFICULT TO DO WHEN YOU CAN’T GROW HAIR ON YOUR HEAD AND YOUR ENTIRE SKIN AS IS AS WHITE AS A FRESH PLATTER OF MILK.”
Her eyes closing, Cologne once more nodded her head. “So this is it. You intend to start hear and finish what we’d started over one-hundred years ago when that epidemic that swept through China came into my village?”
“HEAVENS, NO,” the figure said in all seriousness as he placed his cup down once more. “MY DEAR KHU-LONG, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT IT’S NOT OFTEN I MEET SOMEONE LIKE YOU. I RARELY FIND A HUMAN LIFE THAT IS APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT THEY HAVE OR ARE WILLING TO COMPETANTLY FIGHT FOR IT.” He leaned forward and looked into her eyes and gave her that disarming smile again. “BESIDES, IT IS AS YOU HAVE SAID BEFORE. THIS IS A ‘SOCIAL CALL’. I MAY BE EXPECTED SOONER OR LATER BUT FOR NOW, THE ”
Blinking her eyes, Cologne could only reply, “What? But this is the end, you have your duty! You should be out there or more logically,” she winced. “Starting here.”
Deaths hook his head from side-to-side. “NO. IT IS NOT MY TIME TO TAKE TO MY MOUNT AND RIDE. THE FOURTH SEAL HAS YET TO BE SPLIT OPEN; ONLY THE FIRST HAS YET TO BE CUT... AND WORSE,” He looked into the woman’s eyes with his own gaze. “IT’S SOMEONE YOU KNOW WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN THE CROWN.”
Cologne’s blood ran cold. “Ranma Saotome?”
Shaking his head, the pale-skinned man answered, “HAPPOSAI.”
Turning a shade of green similar to the Horseman’s steed outside, the woman shuddered. “I knew the end would be cruel, but this?” She asked him in all seriousness. “That is simply sadistic.”
“MAYHAPS BUT SUCH WAS NOT MY CHOICE TO MAKE” His eyes flashed. “HOWEVER, WHEN IT IS MY TURN, I HAVE A REQUEST.” The light softening, he spoke in a calm, gentle voice, one that was almost human for a moment. “Will you ride with me?”
Cologne blanched, taken aback by his words. “Excuse me!?”
Nodding his head, Death answered, once more in his normal tone, “I MEAN IT. YOU ARE A RARITY AMONG MOST PEOPLE. I WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE A HOST OF MY OWN EVENTUALLY AND WHEN I DO,” he smiled once more, feeling a bit sheepish. “I WILL WANT YOU TO RIDE WITH ME. I WILL KEEP YOU SAFE FROM THE HORRORS THAT WILL BE UNLEASHED AND LET YOU DOWN WHEN IT IS OVER, WHEN THE REIGN OF THE THOUSAND-YEAR KINGDOM BEGINS. YOU WILL BE YOUNG AGAIN AND FREE FROM ALL PAIN AND FEAR.”
Realizing what he was offering, Cologne tried to clarify, “You wish to offer me asylum from the coming hell that is to be unleashed upon the earth?”
Again, the man of pale white skin nodded his head as he replied, “PRECISELY, KHU-LONG. ONCE I HAVE A HOST, CONTACT WITH ME WILL NOT HURT YOU, WILL NOT STEAL YOUR PRECIOUS LIFE.” He raised his right hand, looking at it. “INSTEAD, I WILL BE FREE TO WIELD MY POWER AS A WEAPON, AN INSTRUMENT OF THE FINAL WAR.”
Lowering his hand back to the table, the Horsemen looked into the old woman’s eyes. “WILL YOU ACCEPT MY OFFER AND RIDE WITH ME?”
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(Posted Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:38)
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