Through the dark hallway, the group peered in the front room, directly off
the parlor. It was mostly dark inside but contained a light source unseen
by the group.
"You may enter, you will not be punished." A husky voice called out from the shadows. Jack nodded at Sally and the teens and stepped into the throne room. Death sat upon her high throne surrounded by her four servants; Destiny, Dream, Despair, and Desire.
"Salutations, Jack Skellington. You do know that you have broken a great taboo by coming here. Are you willing to face the consequences?" She spoke monotonously and tilted her head, sending her straight dark hair cascading down her shoulder. Jack gave another mute nod and took a few cautious steps towards the throne.
"Very well." Death gestured towards Jack with her thin, pale hand and Destiny approached the King. The wraith held a lantern over Jack's head and rang a golden bell three times. Jack reeled with pain and fell to one knee as a piece of is soul was absorbed into the lantern's light. It grew brighter for a brief moment before dulling, and Destiny stepped back to he post to Death's left. Sally was immediately at her husbands' side, helping him to stand.
"Oh Jack, are you sure this was a good idea?"
"No - but what other choices did we have? Go barging in with swords held high, and with no idea what we were up against?"
"I guess you're right.but still." Sally went mute again as Death regarded the rag-tag group with a thoughtful expression.
"I know why you have come."
"Then you know what's after me?" Shock asked. The Goddess nodded.
"I know what hunts you."
Lock began to grow impatient and, although he didn't want to admit it, scared.
"Well, are you going to tell us or are you going to sit up there talking in riddles?"
"Hold your tongue!" Desire barked throwing Lock a dark glare. "You should be grateful to be granted an audience with the Maker." Lock cast a glance of his own but stayed quiet.
"I shall tell you all you want, you just have to ask me the questions."
"What's hunting me? Tell me!" Shock demanded.
"Hariti, rather an incarnation of her."
"Who?" Barrel said flatly.
"Hariti is known as the Mother of the 1000 Demon Children, according to Humans of the far east. She hunted mortal children and ate them, until her own children were kidnapped. She swore to become their guardians and from then on was known as the Guardian Goddess of Small Children." Jack answered.
"So then, why is she after Shock?"
"It's an incarnation of her,. When Hariti was cleansed of her evil power, it had to be sealed somewhere. The monks of the time cast her evil power to a far point on their world and buried it in the ground. However, when Shock's people made their settlement, unfortunately, they stirred the sleeping spirit of Hariti who began her vengeful massacre of the children. She stopped eating the children and opted for simply slaying them in the most violent fashion." Despair said sadly, keeping her eyes on the ground. "I guess she wasn't satisfied with not having killed you herself. She's temperamental that way"
Shock took a few moments to let what she had just been told sink in. "Waitaminute.why didn't she kill me when I collapsed outside of the graveyard gates?"
"She was bound to that area while in the mortal world. It seems that the shrouds of Fate and Time conspired to make her a little more powerful and granted her the ability to move through the astral worlds as well." Death said.
"Does that mean that she could travel to the other holidays?! She could make it to Christmas Town too?" Sally asked, fear creeping into her voice.
"Indeed."
"Oh Jack, we have to do something fast! What if she goes after the other children?!"
"We can't let that happen, Jack!" Shock pleaded. Lock and Barrel nodded. Death stood and towered above the group.
"This is true, she must be stopped, and you don't have much time left. If she finds the portal to the other worlds on your astral strain, there's no telling what kind of damage she can inflict."
"What can we do? How can we kill her?" Lock asked.
"Hariti has no weaknesses. She can not be stopped." The group stood in awe at Deaths' words.
"What..did you say?"
"I said, Hariti cannot be stopped. She is Pandora's box, and it was the mortals of your settlement that set her free. Now they must face the consequences. Unfortunately, because she was allowed to grow so powerful, now your world is in peril as well."
"So we just have to wait to die..again?!" Barrel shouted. "That's the great advice you have to give us? Jack wasted his soul on this shit? I could have pulled all that out of my ass - listen lady, I'm not going to sit her and listen to you tell me that my world, and my former world is doomed! Fuck that." Barrel stormed off towards the parlor and turned at the door. "Lock, Shock, are you two coming? We have some dumb bitch to kick the shit out of!" Lock turned on his heels and tossed a look over his shoulder.
"Thanks for the history lesson, lady." Death reeled back in anger.
"You will die if you face her alone."
"They're not alone." Shock said. "I'm going with them" Dream reached into his cloak and produced a dagger. He handed it to Shock.
"Take this. You may need it, yet." Shock accepted it wordlessly and tucked it into the back of her pants. Jack and Sally joined them at the door to the throne room and gave each other solemn looks. Death softened.
"Wait-!" She paused and Destiny walked her to the doorway. "I knew this is what would come to be. She Hariti can not be stopped by my powers alone and I doubt that you will be able to stop her either. However, and I too am breaking a taboo by telling you this, but you will not make another journey to my palace tonight, or tomorrow, or the next day. I can only give you this, Shock, I can give you hope. Do not fear her. Do not fear Hariti, no matter what!" Death shock and Destiny had to help her remain stable. "Do not fear her.now go. There's in no time!" She leaned down and whispered something in to Shock's ear and tears brimmed in the girls eyes. "Go now and leave me!"
"You may enter, you will not be punished." A husky voice called out from the shadows. Jack nodded at Sally and the teens and stepped into the throne room. Death sat upon her high throne surrounded by her four servants; Destiny, Dream, Despair, and Desire.
"Salutations, Jack Skellington. You do know that you have broken a great taboo by coming here. Are you willing to face the consequences?" She spoke monotonously and tilted her head, sending her straight dark hair cascading down her shoulder. Jack gave another mute nod and took a few cautious steps towards the throne.
"Very well." Death gestured towards Jack with her thin, pale hand and Destiny approached the King. The wraith held a lantern over Jack's head and rang a golden bell three times. Jack reeled with pain and fell to one knee as a piece of is soul was absorbed into the lantern's light. It grew brighter for a brief moment before dulling, and Destiny stepped back to he post to Death's left. Sally was immediately at her husbands' side, helping him to stand.
"Oh Jack, are you sure this was a good idea?"
"No - but what other choices did we have? Go barging in with swords held high, and with no idea what we were up against?"
"I guess you're right.but still." Sally went mute again as Death regarded the rag-tag group with a thoughtful expression.
"I know why you have come."
"Then you know what's after me?" Shock asked. The Goddess nodded.
"I know what hunts you."
Lock began to grow impatient and, although he didn't want to admit it, scared.
"Well, are you going to tell us or are you going to sit up there talking in riddles?"
"Hold your tongue!" Desire barked throwing Lock a dark glare. "You should be grateful to be granted an audience with the Maker." Lock cast a glance of his own but stayed quiet.
"I shall tell you all you want, you just have to ask me the questions."
"What's hunting me? Tell me!" Shock demanded.
"Hariti, rather an incarnation of her."
"Who?" Barrel said flatly.
"Hariti is known as the Mother of the 1000 Demon Children, according to Humans of the far east. She hunted mortal children and ate them, until her own children were kidnapped. She swore to become their guardians and from then on was known as the Guardian Goddess of Small Children." Jack answered.
"So then, why is she after Shock?"
"It's an incarnation of her,. When Hariti was cleansed of her evil power, it had to be sealed somewhere. The monks of the time cast her evil power to a far point on their world and buried it in the ground. However, when Shock's people made their settlement, unfortunately, they stirred the sleeping spirit of Hariti who began her vengeful massacre of the children. She stopped eating the children and opted for simply slaying them in the most violent fashion." Despair said sadly, keeping her eyes on the ground. "I guess she wasn't satisfied with not having killed you herself. She's temperamental that way"
Shock took a few moments to let what she had just been told sink in. "Waitaminute.why didn't she kill me when I collapsed outside of the graveyard gates?"
"She was bound to that area while in the mortal world. It seems that the shrouds of Fate and Time conspired to make her a little more powerful and granted her the ability to move through the astral worlds as well." Death said.
"Does that mean that she could travel to the other holidays?! She could make it to Christmas Town too?" Sally asked, fear creeping into her voice.
"Indeed."
"Oh Jack, we have to do something fast! What if she goes after the other children?!"
"We can't let that happen, Jack!" Shock pleaded. Lock and Barrel nodded. Death stood and towered above the group.
"This is true, she must be stopped, and you don't have much time left. If she finds the portal to the other worlds on your astral strain, there's no telling what kind of damage she can inflict."
"What can we do? How can we kill her?" Lock asked.
"Hariti has no weaknesses. She can not be stopped." The group stood in awe at Deaths' words.
"What..did you say?"
"I said, Hariti cannot be stopped. She is Pandora's box, and it was the mortals of your settlement that set her free. Now they must face the consequences. Unfortunately, because she was allowed to grow so powerful, now your world is in peril as well."
"So we just have to wait to die..again?!" Barrel shouted. "That's the great advice you have to give us? Jack wasted his soul on this shit? I could have pulled all that out of my ass - listen lady, I'm not going to sit her and listen to you tell me that my world, and my former world is doomed! Fuck that." Barrel stormed off towards the parlor and turned at the door. "Lock, Shock, are you two coming? We have some dumb bitch to kick the shit out of!" Lock turned on his heels and tossed a look over his shoulder.
"Thanks for the history lesson, lady." Death reeled back in anger.
"You will die if you face her alone."
"They're not alone." Shock said. "I'm going with them" Dream reached into his cloak and produced a dagger. He handed it to Shock.
"Take this. You may need it, yet." Shock accepted it wordlessly and tucked it into the back of her pants. Jack and Sally joined them at the door to the throne room and gave each other solemn looks. Death softened.
"Wait-!" She paused and Destiny walked her to the doorway. "I knew this is what would come to be. She Hariti can not be stopped by my powers alone and I doubt that you will be able to stop her either. However, and I too am breaking a taboo by telling you this, but you will not make another journey to my palace tonight, or tomorrow, or the next day. I can only give you this, Shock, I can give you hope. Do not fear her. Do not fear Hariti, no matter what!" Death shock and Destiny had to help her remain stable. "Do not fear her.now go. There's in no time!" She leaned down and whispered something in to Shock's ear and tears brimmed in the girls eyes. "Go now and leave me!"