Rexzeal's Chronicles: The Journey of the crystal ghost
Disclaimer: I do not own any shows, series, etc. mentioned in this fiction.
Prologue:
It all started a century ago. But, then again, everything all depends on one's…perspective. But before I go on, allow me to introduce myself. My name or at least the one I go the most of the time is Rexzeal and I have one hell of story to tell."
CH 1 – Start of really bad day
It's hot for lack of better words, and although I can understand why most people enjoy good old fashion summer heat, but somehow I don't see Death Valley as a place to enjoy such weather. Not that I particular cared for hot beaches, babes, and cool oceans consider that is not why came here first place. No, My reason for coming out here was both simple and rather stupid. I came here to live and yet I knew I must die first. And I know everyone all think that I must be insane but consider this: can you imagine if one day you came upon the discovery that despite what you do in life rather good or bad, that one day all your hard work would eventually be over written and forgotten by a naive, arrogant, and future generation as if you did not exist. Pretty terrible I know, but as easy as it would've been all to simple shake these thoughts away and continued on a path of normalcy, I couldn't help resisting the idea. So with one path blocked I decided on another almost long forgotten path of a bum, wanderer, ronin, etc, etc…. So here I have wandered all the way from the east coast of the U.S, all by foot, for the past two years. And not once have I come close to what I have searched for, hungered and thirst for so long. I guess it didn't really mattered in the end because quite frankly somehow I now believe that this is where my true journey both begins and ends.
I stop; the duffel bag, holding my few earthly possessions, has dug a trail into the ground from my travels through this forsaken land. I close my eyes just for second before looking up into the sky and make a silent wish (which I'll leave out for now), and when I open eyes, what encompasses the sky is not what in honestly could be expected. I look back down in surprise and look down and see not only that the sky but the earth has changed. The cloudless sky has turn a midnight black and although the sun still brings light to the sky, its intensity to the eyes has become the equivalent to truly faraway star. The shadows from the surrounding mountain range, which once hugged the walls, have spread within the blink of an eye to completely cast me within it is veil of darkness, inviting a coldness that despite heat rising from the land it seeps into my very bone. In fear I try to turn back the way came, but find my legs unwilling to obey. Even worse they take a life of their own and move me further into the shadow, along with my bag. As walk deeper into the nightmarish shadow, growing darker as I come close, I feel numbness spread throughout, starting from my legs and creeping rapidly up to my torso. In a desperate attempt to stop myself, I bring my arm up to my face…and bite into my wrist. I sink my teeth so far into the flesh that it bleeds and blood falls, soaking the ground. As the shadows greedily drink the blood from the ground, my feet finally return under my command causing me to stumble. I right myself before immediately backing away from the shadows. It is as I turn to runaway, and out of the otherworldly valley that I here a deep, resounding, and commanding voice echoing around the area, but seeming to have erupted from the very shadows left behind.
"The Offering has been accepted" it had said. I turn again cautiously to face what had spoken while simultaneously berating myself internally both for my cowardice and foolishness for turning around, and what I knew from then on would forever haunt my dreams. The upper half of what appears to be a human slowly arises from the shadow as if it were water and stays floating on its surface causing gentle ripples. As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I see a horror that can never be described as humans. The flesh of this 'demon' is red and rotted, in some places to the bone; it has no face excluding a nose, no ears, but multiple eyes of varying shapes and sizes but the iris remain the same blood red color surrounded in pool of deep ocean blue. One eye in particular, the largest, lays in the center of the demon's chest, closed as if in slumber yet radiating an aura of constant watchfulness. Some the eyes including the ones on the palms of the creatures hand have slits along it center, horizontally opening to form a gapping mouth filled with rows of razor sharp needle like teeth. Blood seeps from the 'eyes' as if tears and sizzle upon contact with the ground. It raises one of it hands whose nails seem more like lengthened talons, beckoning me closer, and commands, "Come forward and tell me. What do you desire?" All of its eyes seem focus on me in the instant, and despite the horror and anguish that radiated from this creature. I could not help but be drawn in by the eyes and I willing obeyed this demon's command. However, a fragment of a memory, of a fiction story long forgotten (weird how the mind wanders in strange possible dangerous situation), slowly aroused my attention and shake off the strange fog cast on my eyes. I stopped just short of reentering the shade of the mountain.
It was then did another voice, softer and calming compared to the first spoken, "You should not be here." I try to look around for the origin of the second voice but find only the scenery unchanged by another presence. I return my attention to the demon only to find it sinking into the shadow from whence it came. It center eye open albeit half-lidded revealing a maelstrom of red shades that convey only a small fraction of its true power, all of it focused on not the voice…but on me. "Another time, Rexzael" was its final words before being complete engulfed by the darkness. I still continue to stare for a few moments, my head reeling by the strange turn of events. Being I however, I decided to just leave things as they are, filing in the part of my brain that stores things that will probably land me in a psychiatric ward. Such as I don't know, escaping this place perhaps. I turn to leave in what I assume would be the direction of the exit out of this place and end up nearly toppling over some unforeseen little object, which unlike me was not so lucky to escape a fall. I look down to help up what appears to be a child, but find that after it brushes itself off and looks up to be something rather…different. I stare confusedly into the eyes of a blue-eyed child; the iris has a circle of gold along the edges, long, curly black hair, sharp elfish ears, unblemished tan skin, and small protruding fangs wearing a sand brown gown. My immediate reaction is to leap back and yell, "Stay back, chibi demon" but instead I fall over my dropped duffel and yell a stammered version of my intended words. I reopen my eyes after the fall and see the blurry visage of the little 'girl' holding what appear to be my glasses.
"You really need to watch your step, mister Rex", she said. I grab the glasses before she tries to place it on me and as I rise thank her. I sling my bag over my shoulder and warily try to side step the little girl, but each time she moves to intercept me until I finally ask politely, "excuse me, but may I pass." She shakes her head no and for a brief moment I entertain the notion of simple punting her out the way, but quickly squash the idea in lieu of a less aggressive approach. "Why are you stopping me little one". Her answer, leap at my face and slap something on my forehead. My expression goes from the usual expression of indolent confusion to that of just confusion as I ask, "What did you just do?" She ignores the question, and instead grabs my hand and astonishingly manages to drag me away while crying out, "no time, no time must make to train before others comes!" "Others?" I ask wheezing, struggling to keep up for fear of my arm getting wrenched out of its socket (despite all my travels I still am out of shape). "Demons, Angels, Spirits, all, you cause quite a stir-up you know," her head does a complete 180 like a doll, beaming brightly at me before turning back. If it weren't for my legs (Cursed yet blessed) not being entirely under my control I probably would of fell by now from the whole Chucky doll trick she just pulled.
'This is just keeps getting weirder and weirder thought as we continue to race up the rising dune. From the distance hear the roars, stomps, and wing beats of a multitude of beings and thanks to my oh so helpful imaginations I can literally feel their emotions along with see their countenance. It is thanks to this (and my fear of confirming it by looking back) however that I was able to put enough pep in my step to actually be able catch up and run along side the strange little girl. By the time I make to the top of the hill I collapse and gasp for air. I turn to look at the girl, but find that she is not even in the least bit exhausted. She asks confusedly, "Why are doing?" "What…does it…look, like…I'm…doing?" I rasped. "But that just plain silly. Where do you think we are, earth?" At this point I believe it all truly begins to sink in, that demon's offering, this little child, and this strange world of an endless sand and shadowed valleys...and also why everyone I've met apparently knows my name.
"I…I'm dead aren't I." I asked out loud, breaking into a cold sweat and momentarily forgetting everything around me. "Well…not exactly or at least not yet anyway," said the little girl. I turn my attention towards her and for the first time I notice an actual downcast expression on her angelic visage. However, before I can ask what's wrong and what she meant by the comment, the cry of thousand creatures cuts me off and the shockwave nearly knocks me off my feet. I slide back to the edge of chasm; its bottom entirely shrouded by shadows, and just by looking in it I feel that if I were to fall in it, I would never hit bottom…or return. Pushing the haunting thought aside as a best I can I look around for the little girl and find her in the same spot she was standing in, looking towards the sky. I look up in curiosity as well and find a bright white light ball coming downward directly towards the spot where I stand. I also find the silhouette of monstrous train just behind the light.
'How in the hell am I supposed to get on the train, by being plastered on its front guard' I think to myself but decide to try to ask my 'guide' about it instead. However, when I turn to her, I am greeted with a little girl dual wielding black magnum pistols (at least from what little I know about guns) aimed at the approaching horde of angels, spirits, and demons. Although be now, this entire chain of events should o f sent me into an irreversible state of insanity, my indifference to most concepts (like my insane journey by foot for instance) spares me. I do however, yell (the noise of the falling train and the approaching mob has increased dramatically along with the howl of the wind sweeping over the desert), "What are you doing?" Stupid question to ask of all times but necessary nonetheless. She fires a few rounds into the closest creatures which appear to be transparent serpentine dragons riding on thundering cloud to get ahead of the crowd. The recoil and rounds effect was…different, considering I could just barely perceive the kick from the gun, and the damage, was just…whoa. Within a second the dragon spirits were completely eradicated in blinding light from a grenade size explosion.
She lets her guns drop to her sides as she turns to answer me (thankfully not the Chucky doll way), "My job is to make sure you get on that train, and make sure nothing follows…even if it costs me my life" She mutters the last part but enough of it was carried on the increasing howl of the wind for me to hear. I look deeper into her eyes and past the cheerful little girl façade to see a hint of wisdom born from many years of life (much greater than my own) and tightly sealed but growing sadness. It was then that I truly began to grasp the true extent of this madness. All of these creatures weren't just on a normal rampage…they were after me! And not only that, but some higher or other power was sent this little "girl" to protect me. Not that I'm complaining or anything (I'd probably get blazed in the head if I did complained) nor am I chauvinistic either, it just a bit of a surprise t'is all. Anyway, the real question is why? I look up into sky, hoping that this is just one of my really odd yet rather more interesting dreams. But all I see is that shining starlight beginning to engulfing my view. "This has got to be the worst day of my...well, semi-afterlife."