To any possible fans I still have waiting for the end of this story; sorry about it being so long. I lost interest for a time, and then I got more interested in other story ideas. I finally got round to writing this though, and I hope anyone still reading thinks of it as a fitting ending.

To those who stuck around until now, thanks for your support.

Chapter 10: Kill the Girl, and Become Death

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. ~Mark Twain

The walls shuddered as Liz slammed against them, a pale green pallor fading in and out. She slammed her shoulder again and again against the door, trying to force her way through. But she just wasn't strong enough. Her scythe, originally as black as night, was barely more than a shadow. Her powers had deserted her; the only thing that could save her family was gone. Terror and grief overwhelmed her. She sank to the ground, tears dripping down her cheeks. She just felt so tired, so weak. They were going to die. All because of something she never even wanted. Because of a series of events started by a crazy ex-boyfriend.

"Why?" She whispered. "Why did you choose me of all people?" And then she wailed in sorrow, going on for who-knows how long. Her world had ended. She wasn't strong enough to save them. What else was she expected to do?

But as she cried there, the chill around her started fading. The room lit up silver, the windows luminous. She looked up to see the moon looking through the window at her. From here, it really did look like a face.

"Please." She said, her voice so faint. "Save them. I don't want to live without them. Do whatever it takes. You don't want me anymore." But the moon didn't respond, instead, the beams of light reflecting off him moved together, forming a smooth circle in the middle of the room. She watched it in non-existent interest. What was he going to say? How she was a stupid girl? How she failed miserably? But instead, he showed her an image of a town. An old town. A really old town. Like they had back in medieval times or something. All wooden buildings and people walking around in rags. They were chatting to each other, working together, singing songs and drinking together. Despite their hardship, they looked… happy.

But then a dark shadow started forming over the town. A tall ragged shadow as black as the void, the edges billowing as a skull watched the people living their lives. The villagers noticed it, and their happiness turned to terror. They started running as fast as they could, trying to escape the horror. The shadow – Death – raised a hand to the sky. When it came crashing down, the arm turned into a stream of soldiers. They carved their way through them, spilling innocent blood all over the ground. The people screamed in pain and anguish. And he laughed at the pain. At the chaos.

"I… I don't understand. What are you trying to tell me?" She looked up at the moon again, before turning back to the images.

They faded out, now showing several flying figures fighting Death. They had wings of pale light, fighting with spears and harps. They used them to beat him down, to force him into a deep, fathomless pit. He howled and screamed with every step, cutting into his attackers. But they did not falter. They kept working until the doors finally closed with a boom. The images then changed to another town, the people huddled inside a large building. And old man was sitting in large bed, the sheets stained red with splotches of blood. As they crowded around him and tried to feed him herbs, a shadowy man walked through the crowd. He stopped before the man, a tall figure in a black cloak. He held out one hand, fingers extended… And waited. The old man, now smiling. Reached out towards the hand. As soon as his fingers wrapped around Death's hand, it fell to the bedsheets. His soul left his body with his last breath. But when he appeared before Death, he seemed glad. He started laughing and dancing, slapping his legs as though checking it were there. Confused, Liz looked back at the bed, noticing the lack of lumps at the lower end.

This man didn't have any legs.

More images flowed, faster than the last, all showing similar things. Someone in dire pain or disability, unable to do much more. Death, standing before them, hand outstretched. The people accepting their fates, grabbing him by the hand. Their souls, happy and content as they left behind their broken bodies.

She gasped, now understanding. Understanding why Death was sealed away. Why she was chosen. And why she had to do this. She looked up at the moon again. "I… I understand now. I can't let him win. I have to stop him." She wiped away at her tears, a determined look on her face. She turned to face the door again, the barrier flashing as though taunting her. "This is not going to hold me anymore." She held a hand out, and her scythe formed within it. It was now pitch black, the blade cold silver. She raised it high, swinging with nary a sound. The door, before having held out against everything she tried, fell apart into ash. The wall splintered under her single blow, falling away before her. Her horse stood on the other side, as solid as any living thing. She jumped on without missing a step, the steed flying into the air as fast as thought. Her cloak billowed around her, turning into a black mist.

"Take me to him. Take me to Death."

Death leaned over the boy, sniffing deeply as he took in the scent of his essence. If he had flesh, a smile would adorn his face. He chuckled, the kind that sent shivers down the spines of grown men, of hardened warriors. "Excellent." He said, his voice deep and booming. "This pretender has brought unto me a sacrifice worthy of releasing the end. I suppose that this whole distraction wasn't so useless after all."

Matt spat at him, happy to see his saliva fly right into the mouth of the hood. "Liz's gonna break free of your stupid trap. And when she does, she's gonna break your stupid face. And then she's gonna make sure that you never ever get out ever again."

"It appears that someone has a bit too much faith in their elder sibling." Jack said smugly, juggling her knife. "I saw the way she looked when we left her there. She's broken. She wasn't ready to handle all the stress. She ain't gonna rescue anyone."

"Get back to work Jack." Death said to her, turning away and standing before the adults. The woman was crying to herself, tears blotching her face. Her husband was also in tears, but he looked at him in defiance. Only the officer wasn't crying. He refused to show anything other than determination. Death loomed over him, his aura drawing upon fear. "And you. How does it feel to know that you will be naught but dust in a matter of minutes?"

The man looked him in the eye. "You and all your undead freak buddies are under arrest for murder, framing an innocent, assault on a child, and attempted mass murder and genocide. Anything you sons of bitches say can and will be used against you to break your bony face."

"Ah. Defiant to the end. A pity that it matters little. Brave, cowardly, arrogant, pitied… You will all die the same in the end." Everyone looked up as the far doors were blown open, fragments flying everywhere. The dust settled to reveal the Guardians.

"Not if we have anything to say about it." Jack Frost said. "Guardians, bring them down." He flew in and started freezing everything he could reach, sending the warriors running as they dodged. Jack gave a mad grin as she charged for North head-on, jumping over him and nicking his arm as he swung for her. He dodged her next blow, only to turn and hold his axe against Death's scythe. The cold chilled him to the bone, weakening his strength.

"Your immortality won't save you now." Death growled, pushing harder. Behind them, the others weren't having much luck. The four-armed lady was teaming up with Tepes, dodging their strikes as best as he could. Toothiana was getting slashed up by the Ice Queen. And Sandy was barely holding out against Grendel. "You are outnumbered, outgunned, and outmaneuvered. You will all die here, and there is nothing you can hope to do about it."

This arrogant and yet frightful proclamation was happily interrupted by a five foot something vengeful teen slamming into him with a large horse. Pale-green fire billowed around them as the horse slammed Death against the ground, before bouncing him into a wall. He stumbled a bit, shaking his head before staring at his attacker. Elizabeth jumped down off the horse, scythe a solid black shape. More a hole in reality than a weapon.

"Get the hell away from my family, you psychotic bastard." She said to him calmly, but firmly.

"You!? You should be sniveling in that room for the rest of your days, quim." Death said angrily. "You are a broken coward, taking what was never yours." He turned to Jack. "Kill them. Make them bleed." She nodded, smirking evilly before turning into smoke. But Jack Frost moved in her way, spinning his staff around and creating a strong wind. The smoke and mist was blasted back, reforming into Jack the Ripper again. She snarled at him.

"You're not getting anywhere near them." He said. "I won't let that happen." The others stood beside him, a living barrier against the undead killers.

Grendel growled, his voice making the ground quake. "Fine with me. I was looking forward to ripping you all to shreds anyways." He roared loudly and charged forward, the other monsters close behind them. The Guardians rushed in to meet them, weapons drawn and ready. Liz was in the lead, phasing through them to fight Death himself.

The two sides clashed, and then it turned to chaos.

"Everybody, switch fighters!" Jack Frost called out, dodging the abomination girl's arms and the spikes created by Tepes. He blasted a gust of wind at Jack the Ripper, blowing her aside and away from North. This freed him up enough to move elsewhere, only to end up facing Jack's forgotten enemies. They both charged in, and were managing to pin him down and draw blood.

"Santa Claus!" The abomination exclaimed. "You never got me that doll I really wanted. Consider this my payback." She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. North cried out as his ribs started creaking, the life getting squashed out of him…

And then a boomerang slammed into the girl's head, and a large bunny smashed feet first into her arms. The impact dislodged her, forcing her to release North. He looked up in surprise at his savior.

"G'day guys." Bunnymund said. "Looks like you could do with some help."

"Bunnymund!" North said happily. "Good to see you back in action." They both turned towards the fight, the girl glowering at them. "Now, let us teach these damned souls a lesson."

And whether from having even numbers now, or just a boost to morale, the fight started turning in their favour.

Tepes and the girl couldn't keep up with Bunnymund's bouncing, or the burrow holes he made beneath and around them. He popped out of one, threw his boomerang, and slid back down in time to pop up elsewhere, grabbing his boomerang as it passed. "I've got these two buggers occupied, North. You go and help the others."

"Of course." North said as he ran. "And I know just who to start with."

He dodged the battle around him, the figures and attacks flying everywhere and churning the air. Constantly racing for his target, one of the bigger monsters in terms of size.

Grendel.

Sandy was barely keeping him away, his constructs getting smashed in seconds of being made. His whips were reduced to tying up Grendel's limbs, only to get shattered in seconds. With a triumphant roar, Grendel raised his hands overhead, ready to smash them down on his former nemesis.

But when they slammed down, they instead collided with a much sturdier target.

North glared at him from behind his blade, both hands pressing it against Grendel's strike. A grin peeked out from behind his beard. "Ready for reenactment, Grendel?" With a yell, he pushed back, his impressive strength matching that of the monster. The sheer belief in Santa Claus gave North strength he didn't have in his old life. Enough strength to protect people from monsters like this one. They both clashed again and again, neither gaining much ground as their strength remained equal. Then a lucky strike from Grendel knocked North aside, his blade skidding away. Laughing triumphantly, he charged in fist first, ready to crush him like a bug.

But North got up in time, and instead of dodging he grabbed the arm with both hands, pressing it against his side. A move Grendel was far too familiar with.

Before he could break free, North put all his might into pulling on the limb. With a loud wet tearing sound, the flesh and muscle parted at the shoulder, and the entire limb was ripped away. Grendel bellowed in pain, pressing his hand against the wound.

"No!" He roared in pain and fear. "Not again! Never again!" He glared at North in pure hatred, just in time to see him grabbing his blade.

"Hateful monster. Go back where you came from!" And with a yell, he jumped high into the air. Grendel went to swat him, but the blood loss made him sluggish, and weak. He missed.

North didn't.

The blade buried itself deep in his skull, carving through his head like a knife through butter. Grendel's eyes crossed as he took in the blade, before he finally breath his last unnatural breath. He slumped to the ground, and his body turned into a dark mist. With a sound like screaming, he was sucked back in through the gate like water down a drainpipe.

One monster down. Now to help the others.

The Ice Queen screeched as she chased Toothiana around the room, clouds of ice following her and shooting dagger-like icicles constantly. Toothiana deflected her strikes as best as she could, but blood shone through her feathered body. They both kept at this for a while, flying above and below the hovering bone orb, until one icicle punched through her wing. Crying out in pain, she fell to the ground, skidding along until coming to a halt. The Ice Queen hovered above her, a mirror forming behind her.

"And so as promised, you shall be my slave. The memories you collect will belong to me, and I shall spread my kingdom far and beyond." The Ice Queen boasted, moving the mirror towards Toothiana. She held her sword up, but she was in no condition to best her. Not like this. Not alone.

And then a golden whip wrapped around the Queen's wrist, pulling her away and slamming her into the ground. Sandy floated above on his cloud, forming a second whip. The Queen glared and created clouds of ice, firing them at him. But he created propellers, and they shredded the icicles and distorted the clouds. He was glancing at Toothiana, a picture forming above him. A woman, half out a window.

No. Not a window. A mirror. She turned to the mirror, now lying forgotten beside her.

Shrieking, the Queen flew up to him, her hair wild like a banshee. But Sandy grabbed her by both wrists, and flung her around and around. He released his whips… and sent her sailing towards Tooth.

The Ice Queen passed through the mirror, an echo of her scream left. Tooth then slammed it against the ground, shattering it into a million pieces.

Further away, Bunnymund was in a bit of a tight spot. The girl, the one with four arms, had managed to get her hands on him. Blood dripped from her many wounds, his boomerang red around the edges. She was getting angry and excited at the same time.

"I wonder." She said to herself. "If I squeezed you really tight, would chocolate come out instead of blood?" She smiled. "Let's find out." And she squeezed.

And it hurt. It hurt a lot.

"Crikey." He gasped, his ribs groaning audibly. He just healed those damn things and if someone didn't help him out they were going to…

"Bunnymund!" North called out, his axe slicing through one of the arms and imbedding itself in the other. Before the woman could even cry out, Jack Frost came flying past, rapping her elbow with his cane.

"Excuse me." He said jovially as he passed, Jack the Ripper right behind him. A sand cannonball slammed into the final arm, forcing her to release Bunnymund. He caught his breath, and jumped away.

"Gah." She cried out in pain. "Son of a… Vlad! Get your undead butt over here and do some vampire weird shit! Now!" A stake rose up before her on an angle, slicing a line up her chest.

"Do not presume to speak to me in such a way." Tepes retorted. "I have killed far more than some mindless monster like you."

"I'm a mindless monster? You're most famous for two things; freaking the shit out an army with people of spikes, and getting mistaken for a fuck-mothering vampire. Great job there, bucko. Bet your folks are really proud of you."

"I have had enough of you." He roared, spikes rising up beneath her. She dodged it, using her remaining arms to spring away… Right to where North and Bunnymund were waiting.

"Surprise!" North shouted, both of them shoving her back towards Tepes. He turned into a swarm of bats, flapping around her falling form, leaving her to fall onto the stakes already jutting. She screamed as she landed painfully on them, her thrashing only making things worse. And then Bunnymund jumped on top of her, forcing her the rest of the way down. Her body turned grey beneath his paws, breaking apart into ash. Leaving the two of them against Vlad.

"You will find me a much greater warrior than that wretch of a woman." Vlad said to them, pulling out his sword. "I will drink down every last drop of you."

North flourished his own blade, picking up his discarded axe. "You can try, Tepes." He retorted, as they rushed into battle.

Death and Elizabeth clashed blades above everyone else, their might equal in all regards. He swung at her constantly with his massive scythe, the air screaming as it passed. And yet she constantly deflected it, her own weapon changing shape and form as quickly as blinking. A shield here, then a shotgun there, and then a whip to try and tie him up before becoming a hammer that rocked him away. And more disturbingly, he could feel his blade become weaker with every blow, while hers seemed to be getting stronger with every second.

"How?" He growled at her, eye sockets blazing. "You were a broken wreck on the floor. I shattered your pathetic spirit. I made you realise the futility of fighting against me. So why do you still resist? Why do you bother fighting the natural order? Where are you getting this power?"

Liz grunted as she was forced back, swinging her scythe forward to point the head at him. "Because I realised something you never did. Death may be inevitable. It may be horrifying. But it isn't meant to be a punishment. It's not supposed to make people be too afraid to step out into the world." She flew forward, slamming her blade against him. Death blocked her strike, a crack forming in the shaft of his weapon. "It's meant to free people. People only die because their bodies are too broken. Too injured or weak to keep going. If they didn't die, they would have to live with unbearable pain, with the knowledge that they won't be able to do anything else. I'm not killing people; I'm releasing them from their pain." Using her scythe as a fulcrum, she twisted round and threw Death away, slamming him against the ground. He bounced up, his body completely still. Dying was meant to be a release from pain? People were not expected to be terrified? That his job was not to terrify people, but to be a guide to the other side?

What bullshit!

How dare she try to tell him how to do his job! How dare she spout such naïve nonsense!

He will show her the truth, once and for all.

"You actually believe that drivel? How utterly pathetic." He said. "Death does not free people from pain. It takes everything away from them. It cuts their lives short. Death does not care whether you are good or evil. Once it has you in its sights, you will die." He pulled free of her strikes, and responded with a blow of his own. "I will make you see the truth. Strip away this fiction you cling to and reveal the cold harsh reality."

Her eyes, the only part of her face visible under her hood, flared with pale green fire. "We'll see about that."

North and Bunnymund panted heavily, their fight finally over. Around them were the jagged stumps of stakes. "Crikey." Bunnymund gasped. "Vampire stories lied to me."

"Tepes has always been stubborn." North replied. "It is only fitting that he would resist usual vampire weaknesses." Before them was Tepes himself, many of his stakes puncturing his chest. Through teamwork, they managed to break off a stake and drive it through his heart; a standard approach to dealing with vampires. Though it clearly pained him, Tepes kept on standing, and launched another assault. So they drove another through his chest. And then his lungs. Then his stomach. And then they pinned his limbs down and drove one through his head, followed by several more through the chest for good measure.

He had been difficult to kill in life. Coming back as an undead monster only made him tougher.

And then a primal scream ripped out of his throat, and he started struggling free of the stakes.

"Oh blimmin hell. Can't ya take a hint already?" North charged forward, slamming Tepes down with his boot before raising his axe up high. Tepes screeched, but he couldn't stop North from slamming the axe down on his throat.

His head was cleaning and definitely severed. And his body turned into ash, sucked away into the gate.

"About damn time." Bunnymund said.

"Yes. But we may have problem." North pointed at the gate. The opening was clearly wider than when they arrived. And it was making a deep rumbling sound, like a monster's heartbeat. "The deaths here are pulling the gate open. We may be running out of time."

Above them, Jack and Jack were still in the midst of a chase, Frost only just keeping the Ripper at bay. But she was getting craftier; turning back into a solid form just long enough to fall towards him, before misting away and above him. There were already several cuts on his person, a sign of how close she had gotten.

He needed to end this. But how?

Ripper made another pass, knife held out before her like a conductor's baton. He moved to dodge it like all the others, but she misted long enough to move beside him. A firm hand grabbed him by the arm, and yanked him to the ground below. They landed in a crash of bones, rolling around before she landed on top of him, blade to his throat.

"Time to see if you bleed, luv." She said, already putting pressure on the blade. But then she whirled around to block a strike from Toothiana, Jack temporarily forgotten. He twisted his hips, and threw her off like a bucking horse. But she regained her footing like monkey, still parrying Toothiana with ease. Worse, she was starting to gain ground. "Another of Nicholas' little darlings, are you? I wonder how he'd react to see your guts lying on the ground."

"You won't find me an easy target, murderer." Toothiana replied, flitting away and back again. She did this twice more before she flew away, Sandy appearing behind Jack the Ripper and throwing a net on top of her. The golden strands wrapped rightly around her, tripping her up and blinding her. Jack Frost aimed his staff at her, and fired a strong blast of frost. The frost built up and up, slowing her down even more, until she was frozen in place. Sandy created a cannon, and shattered her with a well-placed blast.

"Yes! Way to go guys." Jack Frost cheered.

"Now we've just got Death himself to deal with." Toothiana said.

"Not for much longer. Look." Jack pointed. Death and Liz were clashing, their moves a whirlwind of battle.

And Liz was clearly winning.

"Come on, Liz! Kick his bony butt!" Matt cheered. Mom and Dad just kept staring at her, as if they couldn't believe their eyes.

But that didn't matter right now. She was winning. Death's appearance, originally to solid and frightening, was turning paler and wispier. He grew ragged and thin, his strength growing weaker. Despite what he had said, it was becoming clear that she was right and he was wrong.

With a triumphant yell, she slammed her scythe down on his own, his blade chipped and his shaft cracked. Where their weapons collided, green light erupted. And then his scythe shattered, pieces falling everywhere. He was flung back, slamming against the ground. She floated above him on raven wings, ready to finish him off.

But then he flew away from her, little more than a ragged cloth. Sticking out of one sleeve was a sliver of his blade, glinting in the light. And he was heading for her family.

Before she could stop him, he ripped Matt out of his bindings, causing him to scream in pain.

"No!" She shouted. "Let him go!"

"I will not." Death replied firmly, his voice raspy and sickly. "I… shall not return… to that darkness. I will… claim victory. As soon as… I kill such a pure… soul, the gates… will open wide. And all inside… will be unleashed." He chuckled, coughing afterwards. "There is only… one way… to stop me. And you know… what it is."

She did. It was the very thing she had hoped beyond hope she would stop from happening.

"No. No, no, no." Mum whimpered. "You can't. Elizabeth, this is insane." The other guardians tried to get close, but Death gripped Matt tighter. He cried out as his skin grew pale, parts of it nearly see-through. "He's your brother. Save him!"

"Yes. Go on… Save him. If you can." Death said mockingly. He raised his broken blade high, ready to strike. Matt opened his eyes, and looked directly at Liz. What she saw in there made the moment seem to slow.

There wasn't fear in there. Nor was there pain. There was only acceptance. He knew what was coming.

End my pain. His gaze said.

And so, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she swung her scythe. Time slowed to a crawl, the moment agonisingly slow. Death's blade inched closer and closer. It was about to stab into his heart.

But just as it was about to touch, her scythe passed through Matt. And she felt the fragile threads binding his soul to his body sever.

But as it finished passing through Matt, her blade collided with something else.

Death choked, dropping both his blade and Matt's body. Liz's scythe was sticking out of his chest, his cloak now sporting a ragged hole. Greenish liquid flowed from the wound.

She glared at him in pure anger. "Go to hell. And never. Come. Back." Her blade glowed brightly enough to hurt, and the air was filled with the sound of screaming voices. Death cried out as a vortex pulled at him, sucking him towards the gate like a black hole. He tried to grab her scythe, but his arms burst into flames on contact. The bones they stood on flowed in after him, falling into the darkness behind the gate.

And then they closed with a loud boom, the sound echoing through the chamber.

And Liz dropped to her knees, her hood dropping away to reveal her tearful face. The bindings around Mum and Dad decayed, releasing them. They rushed to Matt's side, trying to shake him awake.

But he wouldn't wake up ever again.

"Why?" Liz looked up at the sound of Mum's voice. It was broken, filled with pain and loss and betrayal. "Why did you do that? Why did you kill your own brother?"

Liz's voice caught in her throat. "I… I… I had to. I had to. I couldn't do anything else. I wanted to… But… But I couldn't." The tears flowed again, dripping to the ground as hail. "I couldn't." She whispered. The Guardians surrounded her, pulling her into a sorrowful hug.

She didn't know how long they all stayed like that, like statues of misery and pain. But eventually, North started gently shaking her. "Look." He simply said, pointing at something. She turned, and gasped.

A little ball of light was floating through the air, like a pixie. Wherever the light touched, it made the room feel warmer and friendlier. Mom and Dad looked up at it in longing, as if they were feeling happier.

Her powers told her what she was seeing. Something she wanted to see once more.

Matt.

The ball – the soul – took on his appearance, landing gently down near them. He didn't look sad, or hurt, or betrayed. He had a smile on his face, and he was moving freely. Without saying a word, he wrapped his ghostly arms around Liz, and pulled her into a hug. She did the same, and she could feel his presence.

He was really there. For all intents and purposes, he was alive.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you."

He hugged her tighter, his touch like the warmth of a fireplace. "It's ok, Liz. I'm not hurting anymore. I feel so much better." He released her, and gave her a beaming smile. "But I'm not ready to leave just yet. Can I stay with you for a while?"

"With… With me?" She looked up at the others. "Is that even possible?"

"Of course." North replied. "This domain is yours now. You are the new Death, and a better one than old Death. He can stay here for as long as he wants." They both looked at Matt; he was hugging Mum and Dad, both of them crying tears of joy now.

It would be better like this. He wouldn't be sick all the time. He could do things normal kids do. And Mum and Dad could keep seeing him.

Someone cleared their throat; they turned as one to see the police chief standing near them, looking both embarrassed and shell-shocked. "Well… This has got to be the most unusual case of my entire career." He said. "First time I've ever heard of someone being rescued by Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny, a guy made of sand and a kid with frost powers before."

Liz smiled. "Believe me; I'm still getting used to all this myself."

"Yes, well…" He cleared his throat again. "Due to recent evidence and the confessions of… Death himself, you are hereby found innocent of all crimes laid against you. I'll find some way to spin this into a more believable story." He looked around. "Now… How do we get out of here?"

North chuckled. "We can do that for you. You coming, Liz?"

"Not yet." She replied. "I think I've got a lot of work to take care of first. Souls to free, people to save, damages to fix. And I've got to make this place more kid-friendly. Maybe a park, or a skating rink. And we'll need a games room for certain." She glanced at her parents. "And I've got… got to say goodbye to my old life. I don't think I'll have enough time for school anymore."

"In that case, call on us whenever you need help." Jack said. "We'll be there, no matter what."

"Except for Easter." Bunnymund added.

"Or Christmas. Too busy on Christmas."

She laughed. "Ok. I'll try not to ask for help on those days." She clapped her hands together. "Alright then. Everybody out of my place. I need some space to work here."

"Isn't there something you need to do first?" Jack asked, tilting his head away from her. She turned to see her family still hugging.

"Right." She replied. She shuffled over to them, feeling nervous.

That feeling ended when they all dragged her into the family hug.

Tears ran down her face. Tears of joy and longing.

(Three weeks later)

She hummed to herself as she floated down the long hall, decorated like any high rise office interior. Now gruesome skulls and bones in her place. It was meant to look homely and calming. A good thing for her, since she was still busy with work. There was a war erupting in Africa, between the local dictator and the rebels. The rebels were surely winning, but there were still plenty of deaths happening. Executions, battles, and disease. She still wasn't loving her job, but she wasn't avoiding them either. And the souls she freed saw her as a guiding angel, taking them to a better place.

The door at the far end opened, revealing a lit up room that seemed larger than most houses. Black trees with white leaves, formed arches and mazes in the field before her. "Matt!" She called out. "I've made you your favourite jelly sandwiches…" She yelped as Matt came flying past her face, his skateboard an inch from her nose. He laughed as he saw her expression, his ghostly state making him a regular daredevil. "You little jerk. That could've…" She stopped.

"Killed you?" He laughed again. "Come on, Liz. Grab a skateboard and join in. Whoever bails first has to clean up the kitchen for a week."

She chuckled, her scythe turning into a hovering board. "Oh, it's on little man. I am not cleaning up that pigsty after you again." She jumped into the skateboard bowl, whooping as she flew upwards and pulled off some stunts. Matt laughed too as he followed her, trying to get as much air as she did.

Right then, they weren't Death and a lost soul. They were simply siblings, having a good time.

And may it never change.