Well, this was certainly a spur of the moment story. I was suddenly inspired to write a One-Shot for Halloween even though I already have so many other things that I have to work on. x.x Anyways, I've been reading 'Interview with the Vampire' written by Anne Rice and I really loved the use of dialogue at one part. I imagined Marluxia when Rice was describing this scene so, I made my own little twist to her story and made it my own. I thought that it turned out quite well for being something that I wrote at two in the morning when I'm extremely tired. And on that note, because of my tired condition, this story will most likely be full of little mistakes that I've made with spelling, grammer, etc. If you notice any of these then let me know so that I can fix them. Anyways, I really hope that you enjoy this! Happy Halloween everyone!

Full Summary:
Nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes.
For twenty years, this is what the fair maiden Naminé grew up knowing. So, when Death came to call, she shouldn't have been surprised. However, Death has a horrible habit of being unpredictable and he can easily catch you off guard.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or most of the dialogue in this story. Don't sue me!

Certainty of Death
Written by Jazlynn

It was late November when it all happened. A thin layer of snow coated the ground as an eerie wind rustled the skeleton-like branches of dying trees. A full moon lit up the night sky as smoky clouds gently flew by. The forest remained silent, undisturbed as the night progressed, becoming colder and colder with each passing second. It should have remained that way; silent, cold, and unmoving. Unfortunately, that eerie peace was to be shattered.

Frost covered leaves crunched under the soft footsteps of a young woman as she walked through the night. Palpable baby blue eyes stared ahead in fear of the unknown as her long golden locks of hair flowed like a river behind her. Her rosy lips were parted ever so slightly as she took in breaths of cold air. Her soft pale skin seemed almost flushed as if she knew what was going to happen to her. Her body was draped in fine white silk, the fabric framing her slim figure. It covered her body and her arms but allowed for her neck and shoulders to be completely revealed. An icy blue cloak of velvet was draped around her arms and fell lithely over her back, gathering by her feet. Her weak heart was pounding softly in her chest; it's steady pace dissipating ever so slowly. Her tired eyes glanced around the trees and it was then that she saw him.

He was like an angel that floated towards her. His eyes were a deep ocean-like sapphire that seemed to bore into her very soul. He had soft facial features making him look all the more angelic to her. His skin was a deathly white and his face was framed by beautiful, messy locks of light brown. A large black hood shadowed his face and his body was draped in thick, black robes. In his right hand, he held a magnificent white rose while, in his left hand, he held a large scythe with a rose coloured blade. A smile played on his lips as he gazed at the lovely blonde woman before him.

The man gracefully walked up to her and placed that rose behind her right ear. Gently, his cold fingers moved to trace the contours of the girl's face. She dared not move or breathe or squirm away from his touch as his fingers touched her eyes, her cheeks, her lips, her neck. She remained as a stone as the man touched her.

She knew very well who he was. There were many names that he possessed. He was the Reaper, the Harvester of Souls; He was death. Now, he had come for her. He had come to take her into the abyss. He had come to reap her soul. However, she was scared. She was scared and it was being reflected in her eyes. This made death smile.

"I've been looking for you." Death murmured in a rich, alluring voice as he leaned towards the blonde girl. His lips gently touched her forehead and she found herself trembling.

"I don't want to die." She whispered, her voice soft and meek.

The man smiled and held her chin in his strong hand. "But my dear, we are death."

The girl shied away from his touch, backing away from him. Her body shook terribly now. "No, no, no… I don't want to die. I don't want to."

Death chuckled. "We all die."

His calm smile stayed on his face the whole time and he slowly took a few steps towards the girl. "The one thing you share with every mortal is death."

The girl furiously shook her head in disbelief for what she was hearing. "No, no, no… I still have so many years left… so many years."

Death scoffed at her and circled her in a dominant manor. While doing so, his hand traced along the girl's exposed shoulders, sending unpleasant shivers down her spine. He came to stand face to face with the trembling girl and his eyes bore deep within her own.

"Years." He said blatantly. "Years! How do you know you have so many years? Death is no respecter of age! There could be a sickness in your body now, already devouring you from within. Or, outside, a man might be waiting to kill you simply for your yellow hair!"

Death reached out to touch the girl's blonde hair and he gently stroked it. His voice took on a much lighter tone as if he were speaking to a lover. "Need I tell what fate may have in store for you?"

"I don't care. I'm not afraid." The blonde whispered, her voice ringing softly like a bell. "I would take my chance…"

"And if you do take that chance and live, live for years, what would be your heritage? The humpbacked, toothless visage of old age?" The man moved his hand around the girl's shoulder and loosened the cape from around the girl's arms. The fabric fell to the snowy ground and the upper part of the girl's chest was completely exposed. The man's hand crept onto her back and he pulled her close to him, pressing his lips against the nape of her neck. He tenderly placed kisses all around her neck before he slowly moved away to look into the girl's frightful eyes. "Just as sure as this flesh is pink, it will turn gray, wrinkled with age."

"Let me live, please." Tears filled the girl's eyes as she spoke. She was pleading now, afraid for her life. "I don't care… I don't care…"

Death frowned. He seized the girl's chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. "But then, why should you care if you die now? If these things don't frighten you, these… horrors."

The girl was speechless. It was as if she'd run out of things to say in order to defend herself. She tried to back away from Death but he kept pace with her. He was now forcing her to move back and she felt her back come in contact with a tree. Death pressed himself against the girl, pinning her there before continuing to speak in an angered tone of voice.

"And suppose I was to let you go? Suppose the Grim Reaper had a heart that could resist your beauty?" Death's hand travelled from her face to her chest, his fingers tenderly moving towards her breasts. "To whom would he turn his passion? Someone must die in your place. Would you pick the person for me? The person to stand here and suffer as you suffer now? Have you a sister? A mother? A child?"

The blonde girl let out a gasp as Death took liberties with her body. Again, she found herself mumbling the words 'no, no, no' repeatedly. Tears were cascading down her face now and she was beginning to feel sick. It seemed as if Death's patience was wearing thin. That was something that brought on great fear in the girl.

"Surely someone could take your place. A friend? Choose!"

"I can't. I wouldn't…" the girl said through heartbreaking sobs. She tried to squirm away from Death but made no avail.

"Can't you do it?" Death taunted, trying to make the girl as uncomfortable as possibly. "Death waits for you everywhere."

He moved his face away from the girl's if only to trace her face with his fingers again. His left hand released his scythe, letting it fall to the frozen ground. He held her face with both his hands, stroking her hair at times and massaging her neck at others. He smiled at her in a loving yet sadistic way.

"Unconscious death… the fate of all mortals." He mused silently. He pushed a few loose strands of golden hair out of her face and behind her ear. "Hmmm… but we are conscious death! That would make you a bride. Do you know what it means to be loved by Death?"

Death leaned forward and kissed the girl's forehead. She cried out, trying to squirm away from him again. Death merely chuckled at her failing attempts. He pressed his lips against her ear and softly whispered to her. "Do you know what it means to have Death know your name, dearest Naminé?"

The blonde girl's eyes widened greatly in fear this time. She knew that it was all over for her. She allowed her body to go limp in Death's arms and she sobbed into his black robes. Death gently rubbed her back and stroked her hair, embracing her tightly.

"No pain." He murmured softly over her sobs.

She glanced up at him, confusion seeping into her baby blue eyes. "No pain?"

"Your beauty is a gift to me." He whispered to her while taking her face in his hands once more. He began to repeat the words, "No pain. No pain…"

The blonde girl found herself relaxing as Death said this to her. As she was wrapped up in his words, Death placed his cold lips on hers. The girl found herself welcoming him, her arms enfolding his neck in a lover's embrace. And as Death kissed her, her body weakened and her heartbeat slowed. Heat slowly left her skin and her eyes were flickering tiredly. Soon, her eyes closed and remained that way, her body going completely slack.

Death moved his lips away from hers once her body became as cold as his. No more breath escaped her lips and no more tears would leave her eyes. Death gently laid the girl's body in the snow and placed one more kiss on her forehead with a smile. Then, he stood up straight and walked off into the night, fading away as fast as he appeared.