Oh before I forget...
DISCLAIMER: I have no ownership of the Darksiders franchise or Highschool DxD or any other elements that may appear in my story.
Now that that's out of the way... ON WITH THE SHOW! _
So, you wish to know the tale of the Horsemen then? I suppose I could tell you. But to truly understand, we must start at the very beginning. This is the tale thus far...
Once, eons ago in a bygone age the balance that had existed since the very dawn of the universe was shattered. War, violent, unprecedented, devastating, and on a scale beyond comprehension raged across countless worlds as the divine armies of Heaven and the infernal legions of Hell fought for dominance. This conflict would grow to last millennia, however no one could have prepared for what happened in its wake. Out of this enternal conflict there arose a new threat, something far worse then any Demon, the Nephilem. Born of the accursed union of Angel and Demon, they swept through the universe like a swarm of locusts putting countless worlds to the sword. This war would continue to grow, until it even began to threaten the existence newly born 'Third Kingdom', Humanity, who were just barely taking their first few tentative steps out of the darkness.
However, from amidst this cataclysmic war they arose. Four Nephilem , having grown tired of the endless slaughter sought a means of bringing peace to the war torn universe. It was then that they were approached by the Charred Council, a group of entities as old as the universe itself. The Council wanted to restore the Balance and so offered the four the power to restore peace if they acted as the Council's agents. And so the four swore their loyalty to the Charred Council, and in return they were bestowed with power, great and terrible power, with which they would shape the very fabric of the universe. Thus upon that day the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were born.
Upon the orders of the Charred Council the Horsemen rode against the Nephilem , those they once called kin. They slaughtered them all, leaving none alive. Their race dead by their own hands the Horsemen were now the last of the Nephilem . A tentative peace between the Angels and the Demons soon followed as neither faction was eager to risk the wrath of the Council's new enforcers. The Council then presented seven seals which, when broken, would herald the day that the apocalypse would begin and the war may resume, and all would be judged before the Council.
And so peace reigned for many millennia to come, the balance watched over by the Four Horsemen. However it was not to last. One day War, first of the Horsemen, the Red Rider, rode forth into the Kingdom of Man, unbidden, and with him he brought Hell upon the Earth bringing about the death of the Third Kingdom. The Council was furious, the seventh seal had yet to be broken but War had descended upon the Earth and broke the balance he was charged with protecting.
War however claimed that he did not disobey the Council, that he was called forth. Despite his millennia of service the Council did not listen and instead locked War away until they could decide upon a punishment. Yet despite everything, War's fellow riders never once doubted his claim to innocence. So they rode forth, determined to prove their brother's claim. Two of them, Fury and Strife, sought to find out how War could have been summoned by someone other than the Charred Council. But the forth, and strongest of the Horsemen had a different goal. He sought to bring back Humanity, and by undoing the cause of the Council's anger spare his brother War of their wrath. He went by many names, to some he was the Pale Rider, to others he was the Executioner, and to others still he was known as the Kinslayer. However the name that he had chosen for himself, and was known to everyone be they Angel or Demon or Human or god, was Death.
Death set out in search of a man he knew could helping on his quest. He was known as the Crowfather, and there existed no secret not known to him not even those of creation itself. If anyone would know of a way to resurrect Humanity, then it would be him. However this would prove to be a fruitless effort, all power comes with a price and the price for the knowledge of the universe was that the Crowfather was forced to bear a cursed amulet, an amulet forged by Death himself. For you see, when the Four Horsemen killed the other Nephilem , unbeknownst to his brothers or the Council Death had trapped the souls of their kin within a talisman, the Crowfather's talisman. Death was forced to kill the Crowfather, who had been driven mad by the souls trapped within the amulet, his secrets dying with him.
But something happened that Death did not expect. As the Crowfather died, the amulet he carried shattered into pieces, the shards embedding themselves in Death's chest before opening a portal that dragged him to the dying world of the Makers, ancient beings that had forged entire worlds with their bare hands. It was here that Death learned that he might find the answers to his problem at the Tree of Life, a giant tree that existed on every world connecting them together, although it didn't always appear in the same form. However therein lied the problem. Death soon discovered that a sickness had spread across the universe, a sickness that invaded the minds of its victims and drove them to madness. Angel, Demon, no one was immune to it's twisted influence, twisting it's victims into grotesque mockerys of their former selves. The Tree of Life was guarded by one such monstrosity, one that for all his efforts Death couldn't so much as scratch with most of his power locked away in the Seventh Seal.
With the help of the remaining Makers, Death was able to carve a path to the Tree of Life, however something far darker was laying in wait, Corruption, the source of the sickness. He cast Death into the Kingdom of the Dead. It was there that Death met an unexpected ally, the ghost of the Crowfather who had been freed from his madness in death.
The Crowfather, unimaginablely grateful to Death for silencing the voices that had tormented him for so long, told him that the answer to his problem lay within the Tree of Life, at a place known only as the Well of Souls. However to get there he needed two keys. And so Death rode forth, his search for the keys would take him from the shining Heaven and to the darkest dregs of Hell, to the shattered remains of the Earth and worlds beyond description.
The journey was long, and treacherous. The corruption had spread like wildfire, infecting Angel and Demon alike. But with the keys finally in hand Death stood before the door to the Well of Souls, ready to face Corruption who waited beyond. However what happened next he couldn't have expected in his wildest dreams. As Corruption took shape from the black sludge which stained the great tree, he was none other than Absolom, a Nephilem , and not just any Nephilem but Death's own brother.
Absolom, enraged at his brother's betrayal of his own kin, had let himself be consumed by his own anger and desire for revenge under his very soul was affected, turning him from a Nephilem into the twisted madman known as Corruption with the power to corrupt other's souls as his had been. Yet try as he might, Absolom explained, he could not corrupt Death as his soul was already blackened by the sin of betrayal.
It was Absolom's goal to resurrect the Nephilem using the Well of Souls, just as Death aimed to do with Humanity. However for to complete his mad scheme, he needed the amulet that had fused itself with Death. The Tree of Life shook to it's very roots as the tremors caused by the clash between these two titans reverberated throughout the universe itself. The battle was hard fought, Absolom's power had grown fierce in his madness but so too had Death's during his time as a Horsemen, strengthened further by his unbending will of steel.
But ultimately it was Death who stood triumphant, slaying his brother before trapping his soul in the amulet with the rest of the Nephalem . After so long, Death's journey was at a close, the power to bring Humanity back was now his. But just for a moment, he hesitated. If what Absolom said was true then he could also bring back the Nephilem whose deaths had weighed heavily upon his mind for millennia.
"I have walked across countless dead and dying worlds, I have slain Angel and Demon alike and made gods tremble before me. Here I stand, the fate of two races in the palm of my hand and I have absolutely no idea what to do..." Death laughed to himself bitterly as he stood before the Well of Souls.
'Why should they live over us? We are your kin, your flesh and blood! What are the Humans to you?! ' the souls of the Nephilem hissed in Death's mind.
"Interesting, so this is the fabled Well of Souls." spoke a new voice. Death whirled around his scythes in hand, only to be greeted by the ghostly form of the Crowfather. Evidently Death had been so deep in thought that he had failed to notice his coming. Knowing Death's question before it was even asked the Crowfather merely shrugged. " I was curious is all, this place is one of the few that are hidden from even my sight."
The withered old man peered down over the ledge into the waters below. "Quite the conundrum you face no?"
Death simply nodded, turning his gaze back to the water below. "Yes, an impossible choice. "
"But it is one that you have already made. So why hesitate?" the Crowfather inquired of the Horsemen only to be met by silence. "You know that if you intend to go through with this, a sacrifice will be required... "
"Everything must come to an end eventually, I know this better than anyone." the Pale Rider replied. A flutter of wings heralded the arrival of Dusk, Death's constant companion throughout his travels. Landing on the Rider's shoulder the large crow gave a concerned caw before nudging his master's head with its own. Death smiled under his mask as he gave a small affectionate pat to his old friend. Soon after the bird moved to perch on the Crowfather's shoulder, watching Death intently .
Silently Death moved a hand to his face, and for the first time since the slaughter of his people removed his executioner's mask. Dropping the mask to the ground, Death stepped over the edge and plummeted down into the water below. Unimaginable pain flared throughout his entire body as he began dissolving in the water along with the souls held within the amulet. After what like an eternity of blinding pain darkness claimed the rider and Death was no more.
For a moment, there was only silence. But then the still waters in the Well began to boil and roll as it starting glowing an eerie blue light. Then, like an erupting geyser, a giant beam of light shot out of the pool illuminating the Tree of Life in all of its forms across the universe as the Tree went about its work. The old Earth was far to damaged to sustain new life, so a new planet had to be chosen for them to inhabit.
The Crowfather watched in awe of the sight before him, but after a few minutes the lights began to dim and the Tree became dormant once more its work finished. Silence reigned for a moment before Dusk took off from his perch, swooping down to collect the last remnant of its master, his bone white death mask. The mask clutched safely in its talons the bird took off to the Creator oknows where, well, the Creator and the Crowfather.
What happened next well there's not much to say. With Absolom's death his corruption died with him, and so every being infected with the terrible sicknesse died as well. The Demons, who had been horribly affected by the corruption were nearly wiped out as their numbers were reduced to next to nothing, so they slunk off into the dark to be eventually forgotten. The Angels too were left weakened. The Biblical God, sensing no threat from the remaining Demons and having lost much of his power took what few Angels he had left to the new Earth to watch over Humanity to rebuild. With no war to fight the Angels eventually lost their warlike appearance and became more human looking. After a while, more gods would eventually appear, brought into existence by the belief of Man and for once it seemed like peace would reign.
No one ever knew what happened to the other Horsemen, for it seemed that they had vanished without a trace. Their deeds and origins would eventually turn to legend, legends only remembered by a scarce few.
But whatever the case, the Horsemen were bound to return. The seventh seal had yet to be broken, and on that day when trumpets sound and the apocalypse is loosed they will ride once more, and their number shall always be four.