We are the fear that stands behind every human
We are the shadows that eat away at the night
We, like a sigh that is piecing the moon shall shine white and scatter red.
We are what humans call cruel and horrible, unfair and inhuman.
We are known to humans as Angels of Death, The Shinigami*'s Angels, and Grim Reapers. Told to take the souls of those who at a certain time must be sent back. At the exact time listed on our lists we search them out and wait for their moment. They may die from disease, age, murder, suicide and just horrible tragedies that can not even be imagined by the human mind. In the end we shall pay no heed as long as our job gets done we continue on unchanged, indifferent and all emotions killed off. Born from those lost of things completely unimaginable causes most of us cursed angels are given black or gray wings and on the rarest of occasions there is one who is born with the wings of crimson.
Though now we have been told that we will all be participating in an extremely rare event. We will be fighting one another for the ranks and status of the God of Death. No longer to be the controlled but the controller, in complete control of the dimension. So if this is the case let us play to our hearts content. Why because this is a story of a melancholy ballad. A Crimson Ballad.
-- They are there yet they are not. The angels may even walk among us. The nights when the moon is shining ominously over a glowing neon lit city a crimson winged angel prepares for her next assignment heading down to the city bathed in moonlight.
*Tak*
She stood atop a telephone pole; she was clashed in black with waist long hair blending from red into a magnificent shade of dark purple. She seemed to be around six feet tall her wings began as just a skeletal frame work that flared into red drenched feathers.
~*Death Deity
She gazed across the street observing the people who were strolling through the streets.
"11:45:55, 5…4…3…2…1" Smoke began to billow from a collision in the streets, flames in an uproar as if trying to grasp the moon. Seconds later the sound of police, ambulance and fire truck sirens began to fill the air then fading after about a few minutes. After a few seconds she arrived at the hospital front, then in the emergency room where a woman lay in the bed partially conscious.
"Good evening ma'am. I'm sorry to intrude."
"Who…who's there?!"
"Miss please you're in a critical state right now and if you don't calm down you may die!" The surgeons were rushing around. Though as the mysterious person approached the women time seemed too slow down drastically.
"Now there won't be other noises interrupting, so Ma'am I'm sorry to say that I've come to take your soul with me." A flash of moonlight dashed quickly into the room and a glistening crystal scythe was in the reapers grasp now. There seemed to be an orb at the other end a complete mimic of the actual moon with the current phase and wisps of clouds slowly rotating around the orb. It appeared to be a full silvery drenched moon.
"So you're an angel, what's your name?" And is it really is time for me to go? What a sad way to leave in a collision that will be remembered for a few days and then no one."
"Yes, my name is Hikari Tsuki*, and it's not true your family and friends will always have you in their hearts", "The most painful thing you may have to experience though is having to watch all that you love grieve over your death."
"Is that so I think I can withstand that much because they will forgive and forget but still love as much as they did before right?"
"Yes, believe what you wish but I'm not here to judge but just to send you to be judged. You will be sent to your correct destination depending on any sins you have committed. Because in the end everything is inevitable especially fate it's just that your time came earlier than you'd hoped."
~*light moon
She raised the scythe and placed the tip on the woman's forehead and drew it upward.
A purple intangible ghost was dragged out of the woman's body yet still connected by a faded purple thread like. She drew the scythe back and away from the soul and gave a quick slash. The time returned and the machines that were keeping check of her heart rate now had a long flat note and was then turned off. Time of death 1:27:37.
"May you be blessed by the gods on your journey. Rest in Peace."
Seconds later in the back alley of the hospital an odd looking cat was prowling through the street fur as dark as the sky that surrounds a new moon with a light gray yet white circle on his forehead and eyes as crimson as rubies. A silver collar encircled his neck on it was a moon changing just like the orb at the end of the angels scythe. There seemed to be two bells one on each side of the moon, continuously jingling as he trotted along the top of a fence. Then landed with a final ring, he sat waiting in front of the hospital now.
"So this is where you were, it's always so hard to find you at night." Hikari let out a long sigh as she walked over to the cat. "Come here." She held out her arms the cats ears perked and he leaped up into her arms. "Are you ready it's time to go home Nagare*."
"So you really insist on not saying my full name is it that fun?" The cat scowled at her in discontent.
"But I think it's a little cute besides Nagareboshi** is just too long." She smiled down at the small fragile cat tucked into her arm.
As they stepped into the moonlight the cat instantly turned as white as a pearl and as magnificent as newly fallen snow.
"Don't you think you should change now, otherwise you'll be scolded by the manger again for returning in your natural form." she stopped and set the cat down.
"Fine I guess your right." She took a long string out from her pocket and wrapped it three times around her neck and tied a three lopped not. She was now visible to humans; she also no longer had her wings or her scythe and had been able to live among them.
~*Flow or stream ~**Shooting Star
They arrived a few minutes later in front of a tall building with several stories some people may have mistaken it for a large business company with large letters at the top saying D.R.A (Death's Reaping Angels).This still shows that humans are completely oblivious to their surroundings. It's actually where the angels come every few days to rest and recuperate from a few days strait of work. To think that those mere humans pass by one of our few on Earth head quarters every day.
She set the cat back down and he trotted in through the door she followed after him.
"Welcome back Malady." …"Did your job go well today?" asked the secretary.
"Yes, it went rather smoothly.", "Thank you for asking." She took the key from the secretary's hand and walked to the elevator with a complex etched crest on the door.
She stepped in the cat two steps ahead he had already hit the emerald lite button (top floor). The door reopened several floors later to a open room with only two doors one to the right and the other to the left and an open room at the other end of the hall way, containing several large computers framed in pure crystal all of the screens had different parts of the globe then locations to click and show the entire area with dates of every person living their and their times of death, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Russia, Africa, Australia and the Arctic's.
She took a small detailed key from a small sash around her belt and unlocked the door with a click. Nagare immediately walked in and curled up on her pillow. Hikari shut the door behind her and walked through the small hallway into the large room with a wall of completely windows over looking the city and onto the forever melancholy moon.
The sky was becoming a beautiful pale white with a slight flare of blue dashed across it.
"Good Morning Kurai Taiyo*", "And Good luck." She shut the curtain leaving the room pitch black with the exception of a small lamp on a nightstand next to the massive bed.
As she settled into bed, sound of the door across the hall could be heard then footsteps walking down the hall to the open room.
~*Dark Sun
The sound of clacking and typing could by heard in the echoing hallway tiled floors made even more echoes of the light footsteps. This slowly grew louder then silent as the person stood in front of the elevator, waiting. She stood up and walked back to the door and peeked out at the elevator.
"Kurai the elevator is running a bit slow today every one has been running back and forth lately."
There stood a tall slender man with short silver blue hair wearing a long white coat, gray shirt and light gray jeans. His right eye was an amazing gold color like that of the rising sun and the left was a pale blue like the sky that surrounds the sun in the crisp early mornings.
"How was your night?" he asked then turned and gazed at her with his usual indifferent look.
"Eh? Oh, it's the same as always."
A petite little cat came out from a crack in his door she was a light white like color with a dark black circle on her forehead and crystal green eyes. As she walked into shadows and shade she changed into a light silvery tabby with faded stripes. She was basically the opposite of Nagareboshi she also had a collar but hers was a sea foam green with a sun and two bells one on each side.
"Hurry up Himawari* or I'll leave you behind." He snapped at the small fragile cat.
"Have a nice day Himawari, and just ignore the big meany and if he really starts to bother you come see me ok?" She smiled at the passing cat that walked up to her and did a quick weave through her legs and trotted to Kurai's side and waited for the elevator. As it opened Kurai turned and stuck his tong at her before she went back into the room.
As Hikari walked back into her room now pitch black no slight amount of light in the room it was as if the room had become a black hole that would suck in any living being to come close. Yet Hikari seemed to walk through it with ease through the hall and walkways not flinching about being to close to a wall or stepping on anything. As if she could see everything clearly in the dark (she basically could).
~* Sunflower
Only minutes later after she had just settled into the bed the sound of a chime rang through out the entire floor. She quickly darted to her door and down the hallway to the large computer filled room. With one click of a large emerald button, an enormous projection filled the center of the room a cloud of smoke and mist shifting and swirling in the projection. A voice could be heard it was light and angelic but with a slight harsh tone to it.
"Your lordship good evening…well good morning to be exact." She removed the string quickly and bowed in the presence crimson wings spread angelically behind her and the crystal scythe in hand.
"You may rise my crimson angel I have news for the others." The mist lite to the voice.
"Yes, my lord what is your news?" she stood tall and straight forward keeping note of every word he said.
The communication ended and she turned off the projection and clicked the announcement intercom.
"Dear deities and angels of death I have just received an announcement from the higher up's. All and I mean all of lord shinigami's angels will wage a war to determine who will take on the reapers role as the god of death. Our home here is the only safe zone so you are now permitted to do as you please day and night in between jobs though. Jobs will also be lightened. The only exceptions are to the Moon and Sun we are forbidden to come into a confrontation with each other and will be taking on the jobs that have been removed from your lists." She announced with a slight remorseful tone. She turned it off, sighed and continued on.
Yells and screams of excitement and agitation could be heard through out the floors even those out on assignments had received the message at the very same moment as the announcement was made. Several were making their way back to the hotel and dashing through the door and into the elevator bashing at the top floors button. The elevator crammed to its peek. It slowly dragged up the elevator shaft to the top floor as they all dashed out the elevator through the corridor and into the large room yelling and screeching at the top of their lungs. She stowed the computers into the walls and wall length windows appeared where they disappeared.
"So are you going to let me in Hikari or should I fly around and actually deal with waiting." Kurai shouted through the window as he hovered in mid-air his wings were a pure white with a golden tint to them. His scythes blade was a clear canary diamond like color. The staff part was exactly as bright as the sun with an orb mimicking the sun. It glistened in its own light. Hikari opened the window and let him in. The crowd still roaring in a wild frenzy.
"Please calm down; we are only to follow orders and nothing else!!!" She stood among the people trying to calm them down as more flooded through the elevator crowding what little room was left.
"Hey shut up you bunch of sniveling idiots! Listen up!" Kurai was above the growing masses, seconds later Hikari joined him.
"What should we do we need to get them out of this floor and into the conference room." She looked at him in frustration.
"I agree this is supposed to be a surveillance room it's not suited for this many people." He seemed tired and agitated.
"Then shall we use that… as a way to clear the room??" she stood straight and forward with slight excitement in her voice.
"I think that sounds like fun and we haven't had this much fun in a long time wouldn't you say?" He smirked in her general direction.
She flew down and pressed the emergency release button which opened all windows to the top floor. A rush of chilling mid-day winter air swept right through the room as the two, moon and sun floated back to back their scythes in hand. The tip of Kurai's reached past Hikari and the tip of hers clawed past him.
"So shall we begin our fun? I've been feeling bored lately anyway.", "Though out of all angels and demons I wanted to fight, you were always at the top of my list." Hikari turned and gave him a gentle smile.
"Really well, like wise so who are we starting with I've been waiting to do more than reap. Now it's time for some real fun." He grinned giving off a feeling of adrenaline and insanity that just by looking you to would gain the feeling like an infectious disease traveling and plaguing the world. The war shall spread just like the feelings that have already started.
The war will begin with this single move. They side stepped and stood side to side facing the opposite ways then with both scythes in their right hands morphed the two into one.
"I will give you the moon and the stars." She sighed and began to dive backward toward the rumbling mass.
"And I shall give you the sun and it's resurrecting rays." he flew higher leaving the scythe in mid-air it stood remaining motion less.
"Because when the two are separate the two are one and together they are more distant than before. So I ask you are the moon and sun one or two?" They simultaneously said and stood frozen in the air and reached for the scythe sending sparks of white and black to the weapon. It slowly began to rotate in every direction as it spun the scythe slowly became two again. Now rapidly drawing in air from the open windows the air turbulence was so fast it was visible. As the wind spun and spun gaining incredible unimaginable amount of speed those with their wing were beginning to get sucked in and those on the ground could find nothing to grasp from the large surges of wind sucking them in.
"What is thy answer we ask are we one or two?" they were both facing each other now with the scythes in the middle as they reached for their scythes the most threatening and finishing gust of wind trusted every living being through the windows only Hikari and Kurai remained in the center back to back again and their weapons returning to their hands.
"Well I guess we'll never know will we?" she said looking down at the cleared tile floor.
"No……no we won't because there is no answer." he said looking up to the grand ceiling. "Shall the great moon and sun make their entrance?" he smirked again with great delight.
"I'm going to win in the end.'" She smirked right back at him.
"Then let's make a bet milady of the moon, that who ever gets the most wins is basically the winner."
"Why milord of the sun I think that is a terrific idea and I fully agree what do you say to starting to tomorrow because for now our angels are not sure how to go about this." She lowered herself to the ground and tied the string around her neck and walked over to the button case, flipped it up and returned the room filled with computers. While Kurai lowered himself down and tied a similar string to his wrist, his wings vanished and he fell just a few feet to the ground.
"I'll agree, besides we also have extra jobs to do while being on the watch out from attacks by the others we basically have our work cut out for us."
"Yes we do." Hikari sighed and walked to her room with Kurai right behind her going to the opposite door across from her.
"Good night Hikari." He walked into the room with white and pale blue walls.
"Good morning Kurai." She stepped through the dark abyss which was her home, dark blue and black walls. She shut the door and walked into the bathroom to take a shower, then got in bed with out interruptions this time.
Hours later at late twilight an alarm went off on the stand next to her bed Nagareboshi got off the bed and walked over to the blinds and pulled a small cord that triggered the opening of the curtains. The moon was no longer full it seemed as if someone had taken a bite out of it.
"Quarter…" she sighed as she saw that the moon had risen over the horizon. She showered and changed into a tank top that stretched down like a dress a little below her waist and a long skirt that went slightly below her knees, it had a cut going down the side held together with two to three buckles. She stepped out through the door with her shoes in her hand the cat slipped through the door before she shut it. She slowly began down the corridor to the grand open room to check surveillance and receive her list for the night.
She sat down at the rolling chair placed in front of the main system a few clicks, taps and typing later revealed that her list had grown massively since the battle was declared. Several of the names and people were supposed to die at extremely close times but far away places.
"Well I guess I'll be waking up and getting started earlier from now on and working later." She sighed and began walking to the elevator. When as she reached for the button the door began to open before she even touched it. The crest on the door split into two and a tired, and exhausted looking person was leaning against the wall, fast asleep.
"Geez, the minute it hits late twilight your out like a light how pathetic." She grabbed his arm and dragged him off to his room and stepped through the white door with a sun engravement on it. The walls pure pale colors and the floor was white as a cloud. She walked into his bed room and laid him on the bed and pulled the sky blue covers over him.
"I bid you good night, sun." She stepped away a few steps and pulled her gloves on and placed the metal ring around her long twilight colored hair.
"And I bid you good….morning, moon." He opened his eyes just enough to see her and then fell right back to sleep.
"You better get enough sleep and get over falling asleep the way you used to do because if you don't you are bound to loose our little bet and well it's no fun with out a challenge is it?", "You also start your new freakishly long list at sunrise. You sad idiot in the end I'm not going to spare anyone not even a comrade because that's just not me." She smirked giving off an aura of a devouring darkness and insanity that is going to take away every ounce of light in the world, like a blood thirsty beast on a rampage. Her blood was beginning to boil her blood pressure was rising at an extreme rate a feeling of adrenaline began to course through her body.