The Highway West Andrew 69
Chapter Ten: Omega
Even the journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
-Chinese Proverb
"What the Hell was that?" Cassie asked Bucky as they appeared in Jack's Bar and Grill.
"It called my name," Bucky answered with a devilish smiled.
"Are you saying that the dreamweb called your name?" Caliban inquired.
"It called my name," Bucky repeated his answer.
"I thought you said that place was dead?" Marguerite asked Cassie.
"It was. Morgana sucked it dry. How's it that it wants you?" Cassie asked Bucky.
"Maybe it collects weirdoes," Bucky suggested innocently.
"The point is moot. We have to get rid of this soon," Elijah stated as he held up the First Seal of Creation.
Elijah looked pale as though he was fighting an illness. "Are you okay, Dudley?" Marguerite asked.
"As long as I carry this Seal, I can not be okay. We have to find what we came for and leave. I can not bear it for long," he pleaded.
Hearing Elijah's voice change dramatically, Caliban looked towards him. "I have noticed that your emotions are going wild," he observed.
"It takes all of my will to suppress the Seal," Elijah stated.
"I didn't realize that it was hurting you so much," Ruthie said trying to comfort Elijah.
"It is not pain that I worry about. We have to hurry," Elijah told them.
"Jack, what sort of references do we have about Hell?" Caliban asked.
"The Bar possesses exactly one million two hundred thousand seventy four different sources that mention Hell," Jack answered.
"Wow!" Cassie muttered.
"I don't suppose that any of them are about people who have actually been to Hell," Marguerite inquired.
"Only one has gone to Hell and returned, with the exception of the Dark One and his followers, and He did not leave a written record of the experience," the ancient man replied.
"There has to be some way of preparing ourselves. How does the Bible describe Hell?" Caliban asked Ruthie.
"Mostly as a lake of fire or a vague underworld. To tell you the truth, I've never given much thought about Hell," Ruthie admitted.
"You mentioned before that the Seal is in the bible. What does it say?" Cassie asked.
"Well, in the Book of Revelations it says that the Lamb breaks open the First Seal and then Death will come on a pale horse to fight the great war," Ruthie answered.
"I take it that there isn't a mention of the Pit, the Shadow Lord, or the Five?" Marguerite asked.
"Not exactly. The Bible does not mention where the Seals come from only that after the Lamb is slain can He be worthy to open the Seal," Ruthie replied.
"Didn't I read somewhere in the Bible that Jesus died and had to stay in Hell for three days?" Cassie asked.
"That has been one interpretation," Ruthie agreed
"Then if Jesus is going to rise again, and all of the dead are going to raise, then having the Seal in Hell kind of makes sense," Cassie said trying to sound logical.
"Perhaps, but remember we can not base our actions on what the Bible says. We do not know have accurate it is," Caliban informed them.
"I do," Ruthie told Caliban.
"Maybe you do, but I am not willing to risk it. We do know that the Seal will cause pain to. . . Bob. That is a good start," Caliban retorted.
"I've always thought that Hell was being locked in a room with nothing to do," Bucky announced.
"I've always thought that Hell would be me locked in a room with nothing to do with you," Marguerite added.
"I have always imagined Hell as a vast wasteland where you wander forever alone," Caliban said earnestly.
"Or perhaps it is the total absence of God," Ruthie added.
"That's too easy," Cassie told them.
"What kind of Hell would you prefer?" Marguerite asked.
"I don't know. I think the kind of Hell that I could believe in would be a place where the souls of the dead realize all of the evil they've done to others and have to relive that evil. You know a kind of karmic backlash kind of deal," Cassie answered.
"Why would you want to help us?" Marguerite asked Bucky.
"Yeah, you agreed to come with us way to easily," Cassie agreed.
"When we get to the end of the journey, I will find the ultimate answer! I have seen it in my dreams," Bucky answered.
"What answer?" Caliban asked.
"Why the answer to the ultimate question. Twenty pieces of chicken!" Bucky replied.
"Why are you here?" Marguerite growled.
"Like I have already said, to get my answer and my life long dream," Bucky told her.
"Why he is coming no longer matters. He is the only one who will be able to lead us through the realm of madness. This Seal is like a boulder breaking my back. I will not have the strength to carry it for long. We have to go to the Pit. I can not explain it, but I know that what we are supposed to do," Elijah declared.
"Okay, as I see it, the first order of business is that we have to get to Hell without being caught, right?" Marguerite announced.
"If I teleport straight there, someone will see," Cassie told them.
"How would they?" Ruthie inquired.
"For those that can sense magic, it would be like a flare telling every demon in Hell where we were and alerting. . .Bob," Cassie explained.
"Oh great," Marguerite muttered.
"Did you not mention that the Bar is the center of the universe and that it's roads lead everywhere?" Caliban asked Cassie.
"Yeah, so?" Cassie answered.
"Then, we should be able to use those roads to get to Hell," Caliban reasoned.
"As long as it's not paved with good intentions," Marguerite added sarcastically.
'The Highway West," Cassie exclaimed.
"Exactly. We should be able to walk straight through into the realm like MacDuff told us," Caliban added.
"Just like in my dream! Yes! Yes! This is the way!" Bucky cried.
"Let me get this straight. We're going to walk down a spirit highway until we get to Hell and toss the Seal into the well with a mad imp as a guide?" Marguerite inquired.
"That is the situation," Caliban stated.
"Okay. . .just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy," Marguerite replied.
"It's a long shot, but the only one we have," Ruthie told her.
"Is there anything else we need to take care of?" Caliban asked them.
"Quit stalling. None of us wants to do this, but we have no choice," Elijah told them with a low voice.
Silently, Elijah turned from the others and began to walk towards the main door. He opened the door and turned towards his friends, which he had to admit included Bucky. Together, they left Jack's Bar and Grill and found the Highway West.
The scorching desert sun beat down upon them from the cloudless sky. Vultures circled overhead. A tumbleweed rolled past them as the Five and Bucky began their journey. The Highway West stretched limitless before them. Illusions of water taunted them in the distance. Tired, the Five and Bucky continued to march down the Highway West. Time began to lose it's meaning. They might have been walking for hours or days and would not notice the difference.
After walking countless miles, they could see a figure walking towards them in the distance. Once closer, the Five recognized him; Jim Morrison. "Who's that?" Bucky asked.
"You wouldn't believe us if we told you," Marguerite answered.
Jim smiled sadly when he saw them. "Hi," he said softly.
"Why are you still walking down the Highway?" Ruthie asked.
"No matter where you go, there you are," Jim answered.
"Twenty pieces of chicken!" Bucky shouted.
"I remember chicken," Jim muttered.
"Do you know the secret recipe?" Bucky asked.
"No," Jim answered.
"Will you come with us?" Cassie asked.
"No. I've already been where your going," Jim replied as he began to walk past them.
"Am I crazy or is that who I think it is?" Bucky asked.
Marguerite laughed. "Your crazy and its who you think it is," she told him.
Marching up the Highway West, Marguerite noticed that Elijah seemed to move slower and slower. "Are you okay?" she whispered.
"I. . .am fine. It grows on me and in my mind. It seems to grow heavier with each step," Elijah replied.
Marguerite extended her hand to Elijah and smiled. Elijah looked into her eyes and found love. He smiled sadly and took her hand. "Thank you," she whispered.
The Highway West twisted like a snake. Although Bucky wanted to run into the desert, Caliban insisted that he remain on the highway. Bored, Bucky began to sing. "A billion bottles of beer on the wall! A billion bottles of beer! Take one down and pass it around! A billion bottles of beer on the wall!" he sang.
"If I want to hear anything out of you, I'll fart," Marguerite snapped.
"Why don't you like me?" Bucky asked seriously.
"You're too happy," Marguerite answered.
"So what you're telling me is that you're jealous of the fact that I'm happy," Bucky commented.
"Yeah, I guess I am," Marguerite replied.
"Look, there's a sign ahead," Caliban observed.
Route 666 next left was painted on the green highway sign. On the horizon, they could see that the Highway West split into two separate roads. When the Five reached the fork in the road, they chose the left path.
"Caliban! Caliban! How many sides does a circle have?" Bucky asked the Fallen.
"I do not know, Bucky. How many sides does a circle have?" Caliban replied.
"Two. The inside and the outside," Bucky answered.
Bucky enjoyed using Caliban as his straight man. Caliban's responses were often funnier than the joke. Bucky was the irritator, the salt in the wound, and shaper of chaos. Ironically, he grew to respect and even love order. The trip down the Highway West had always seemed to be a means to an end rather than the final catalyst for change. All of the Five were growing into their roles as true heroes. The savage energies of the Dreamweb raged against dying stillborn. If lucky, Bucky would be the midwife.
They had mentally prepared for demonic images of Hell from the landscape. Much to their despair, they stared straight into the heart of darkness; the heart of humanity. Rows of starved, naked Jews shivered in the glacial Auschwitz night praying to a faceless God. The Nazis cackled; the Jews would be warm soon enough.
Grasping onto the First Seal of Creation, Elijah virtually ignored the rapidly changing landscape. The closer he marched to the Pit, the stronger the Avatar of Dionysus became. If he would only give in, he would have the power to destroy MacDuff. He could light the night afire in his quest to rid the world of the paranormal cancer. He would also have to surrender his will to the Seal and eventually lose his humanity. For a brief moment, Elijah decided to surrender. The caress of Marguerite's hand reinforced the cathedral of will in his mind.
A single flash of light flared over the city of Hiroshima. Waves of energy hungrily eat buildings, homes, flesh and blood and dreams. Blind children wandered the streets, dying of invisible poison.
Marguerite's concern for Elijah blinded her to the horrors of Route 666. She lead Elijah up the highway and made certain that he would not trip. She knew Elijah was fighting the Seal in a contest of wills. She would have taken the Seal from him, except that she knew that she would surrender. She could rant and rave for a few hours, but without the anger she would fade like a candle in the wind. Elijah was the only one that could carry the Seal, Marguerite accepted that. She would make certain that he made it to the Pit, even if she had to carry him every step of the way.
The little girl shivered as the crack entered her body. As long as she had the glow, it didn't matter if she was homeless, her pimp beat her, or that her brother had sold her. She watched as scores of boys killed other boys for the offense of wearing a different color. She didn't care and perhaps that was the worst crime of all.
Caliban found horror in that the images around him no longer horrified him. When they passed a large brass bell with a large crack on the side of the road, Caliban recognized it at once. It was the bell that no longer tolls. As a child he had read For Whom the Bell Tolls. The thought of a funeral bell tolling for him had scared Gary Ernest many times as a child. The thought of a funeral bell never tolling for him scared Caliban even more. Was he destined to lose more and more emotions until he became a thinking rock living an eternal unlife?
Men bought and sold children, boys and girls, for one purpose. . . .nefarious pleasure. They took turns raping their innocence and capturing it on film.
Cassie once dreamed of living an adventure much like this one. She dreamed of being a hero and facing the armies of darkness. Marching in the cold, Cassie found it ironic that what she wanted most the world was to return home. She missed her father, who always nagged her about her weight. She missed her mother who used to throw fits over her black clothes. Her thin black dress barely protected her from the harsh winds. She wished she could be like Marguerite and be brave. All she could do was take one step at a time.
The Ascension War had begun. The vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night followed the banner of MacDuff. The Great Barrier had collapsed and Hell had found earth. On a pale horse, Death led the armies of light against them.
Ruthie wanted pray to Jesus, but she was afraid that Satan would hear the call so close to Hell. She disliked calling Satan by the name Bob. Somehow, it lessened his evil to her. Deep in her subconscious she wondered about what MacDuff had told her. She wondered if everything she had been taught was a cosmic joke and that her faith caused the miracles. Either way, there was no turning back. She knew that terrible sacrifices were going to be made on this journey, she only hoped she could pay them. She clutched her cross and bible like a child hugging a teddy bear. Only her love of the others kept her from fainting. As she marched, she glanced over at Marguerite. Although she had been jealous of Elijah at first, Ruthie had learned to wish them the best. It was a hard lesson for Ruthie to gain a sister and lose her so soon.
The horizon glowed as though a star had crashed onto the highway. Once closer, they could see a giant lake of fire raging in the desert. The highway passed directly over the lake of fire through a large metal bridge. Each step was searing agony as they crossed the bridge. Elijah, tired from fighting the medallion, nearly fainted. Marguerite threw Elijah over her shoulders and carried him to the other side of the bridge.
On the other side of the bridge, the beast in the form of a man waited for them. He wore a slick modern Italian Armani suit with red stripes and black sunglasses. His green eyes appeared to have a slight reddish tint to them. Although Bucky had never seen this man, the Five remembered his quite clearly.
"Mephistopheles!" Ruthie cried and she presented her cross.
The handsome man smiled and glanced away. "Please, please. I have not come to fight, but make a deal. Please tell me, what do you want?" asked the demon lord.
"We don't make deals with the. . .," Ruthie began.
"Please, I would not say that word at this moment," Mephistopheles interrupted.
"I thought you were. . .the. . . you know. We call him Bob," Marguerite said, confused.
"As sweet Mrs. Jones could not doubt tell you in says in that book that she carries that when the One she serves asked one of my kind what his name was, he answered legion. Bob, I love that name, is not the only one that can rebel," Mephistopheles replied.
Elijah opened his eyes and glanced over at the demon. "What do you want?" he asked as he motioned Marguerite to set him down.
"I want you to succeed. When you cast the. . .object that you carry down the Pit, Bob will be quite weakened. That will be my big chance," Mephistopheles answered.
"What about Delilah?" Cassie asked.
"She is but a minor player in a game she does not understand," Mephistopheles replied.
"She came close to taking us out," Marguerite responded.
"You have grown since then and you will have my help," Mephistopheles said arrogantly.
"What do we have to do for your help?" Caliban asked.
"Succeed." Mephistopheles answered, "Do we have a deal?"
"No," Elijah replied
"No? I could report you now and you would be done for," Mephistopheles threatened.
"And all of your plans would be ruined. We know you captured Mary MacDuff to push us into this," Caliban told him.
"I have no idea what you mean," Mephistopheles said innocently.
"I don't either," Ruthie complained.
"I could not figure out why you would take Mary MacDuff instead of just killing her and why you left MacDuff alive. That bothered me. When MacDuff made us promise to save his mother, it bothered me that she would be alive after so long. That is when it occurred to me that you were using her, to get to him, to eventually get to us. You knew he could never rest until his mother was safe, even if he had to damn the world to Hell. Quite clever," Caliban complimented him.
Mephistopheles smiled. "Thank you."
"But I am afraid that it will all fall down on you," Elijah barked.
"And why is that?" Mephistopheles asked.
"Because MacDuff made me promise to save his mother. Unless you release her, the game is over," Elijah answered.
"It is done," Mephistopheles declared.
"How do I know I can trust you?" Elijah asked.
"I rarely lie. The truth is often much more painful. Yes, she is free and right now MacDuff is holding her in his arms. You will learn to regret it later. She has learned much in her stay here," Mephistopheles said with a laugh.
"We'll deal with that later," Marguerite snapped.
"Do we have a deal?" Mephistopheles asked.
"You help us get to Bob, we hurt Bob and you let us go, right?" Cassie asked.
"Correct," Mephistopheles replied.
"And you will take us to the Pit?" Caliban asked.
"No, but I shall take you as far as I can without being spotted," Mephistopheles told him.
"And that is?" Cassie asked.
"To the edge of the realm of madness. Once there, Bob will not be able to sense you," Mephistopheles answered.
"Deal," Caliban said.
"Right now I will deal with you, because I have to, but you're days are numbered," Ruthie warned.
"Oh yes. The end times are near. Judgment day! I hate to break this to you honey, but the One you serve loves this game just as much as I do," Mephistopheles informed her.
"Yes and He is going to win," Ruthie told him.
"Enough said. If we start this argument, we could be here until the end of time," Mephistopheles said with a snap.
Marguerite opened her eyes to discover that she was covered with blood. The scent of the blood was strangely familiar. Gently, she pulled her sunglasses off of her face and looked around. Horrifyingly, Elijah and Ruthie were laying on the ground at her feet. "Dudley, get up!" Marguerite snapped.
Elijah did not respond. Delicately, Marguerite prodded him with her boot. His flesh was unnaturally pale. She knelt down to him, noticing the large wound on his neck. She had killed him and sucked the life-force from him!
"Ruthie, wake up! I killed Elijah!" Marguerite screamed.
Ruthie did not move. It was the unnatural stillness of death. "No! Not you too!" Marguerite screeched.
Shaking Ruthie, Marguerite discovered a large bite wound on her neck. She had killed Ruthie too. Marguerite stood and screamed. It was a primal scream from deep in her soul. She turned her back to her fallen friends so she would not have to look at them.
"Marguerite," she heard a voice whisper.
She turned to find that both Elijah and Ruthie were stirring. "You're alive!" she cried.
"No. You killed us," Elijah responded.
Their movements were like a puppet with half its strings cut. The stench of their blood mixed with the decay of flesh slowly warped her senses.
"You took our lives," Ruthie added.
"We trusted you," Elijah told her.
"We loved you."
"And you repaid us by stealing what we have willing gave to you!" Elijah cried.
"No!" Marguerite screamed.
Elijah and Ruthie were reaching for her. Their hatred had given them a new unlife with a single purpose. . . to kill Marguerite. They were right, Marguerite decided. How many times did she kill before she learned to control her urges? How many families did she destroy? She deserved this fate and far worse.
The awe inspired by the Hall of Heroes had not been exaggerated by Tagami. Many of the great heroes of the past were immortalized in artwork. Siegfried, Arthur, Ramayana, Gilgamesh, and many others lined the walls. Proudly, Elijah walked over to the portrait of Tagami in his prime. The Chiyanbara had a long, proud tradition, Elijah hoped he was worthy. Under Tagami's portrait was an inscription in Japanese. Tagami Yomoto the last of the Chiyanbara.
"No!" Elijah cried.
"You are not worthy!" they cried.
Elijah slipped the First Seal of Creation into his trenchcoat and drew Ascalon. He spun around in a defensive arc trying to find the source of the voices.
"You are not worthy!" they cried.
"I am Elijah Kincaid, Chiyanbara!" he yelled.
"No, you are not."
Elijah turned to see Tagami. "Sensei!" he cheered with a huge grin.
It was not the old man who had taught Elijah, but the vibrant man he had met in the past. He wore his Chiyanbara uniform with pride. "You are not worthy! You are not worthy to carry Ascalon," Tagami told him.
"I am worthy," Elijah insisted.
Tagami drew his katana in response. Elijah reasoned that the glowing katana was the same weapon that he held in his hands, but in a different time. "You were never worthy," Tagami told him as he stepped forward.
"Sensei?"
"You have to die!"
It was 5:32 PM and she could almost feel the punches. "Ruthie! You bitch! Get in here!" he cried.
Timidly, Ruthie slipped into the dinning room from the kitchen wearing a soiled apron. "What is it Keith?" she asked sweetly.
Keith glared at her. He flipped over his plate of food, spilling it onto the floor staining the carpet. "What do you think your doing feeding me this shit!" he bellowed.
"You liked it yesterday," Ruthie protested weakly.
Keith turned and slapped Ruthie with the back of his hand. The force of the blow knocked her against the wall. "What did I tell you about feeding me leftovers?" he asked her.
Ruthie tried not to cry. Keith hated it when she cried and usually gave her something more to cry about. "You said to feed the leftovers to the dog," Ruthie answered meekly.
Keith beat her again. This time it didn't quite hurt as much. "Then why did you do it, ya dumb bitch!" he screamed.
Her face glistened with tears in the sterile hundred watt lighted dinning room. "We. . .we. . . .couldn't. . . ."
Keith casually slapped her again. "We couldn't what! Tell me! Tell now, ya bitch or I'll beat your ass so hard your mamma'll feel it," Keith bellowed.
"We couldn't afford it," Ruthie whispered meekly.
"WHAT!" Keith shrieked.
"We couldn't afford it," Ruthie said, this time louder.
"What the fuck do you do with my money, ya fucking whore!" Keith howled.
Sobbing, Ruthie looked away. Outraged, Keith smacked her a couple more times. The last blow knocked her into a bookshelf, causing the entire structure to crash on top of her. "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY MONEY!" Keith cried. It was a shriek devoid of humanity.
"I had to pay your tab at the Oasis," Ruthie muttered through her split lip.
"What did you say?" Keith growled.
Feeling a little spark of courage, Ruthie raised her voice. "I had to pay your tab at the Oasis!" Ruthie said defiantly.
"You worthless piece of shit! Why did I marry you? You can't cook! Your ugly! And your not even good in bed!"
"Please. . . .please," Ruthie begged.
"Hey Mount Cassie, can I send my little brother over for a free climb?" the football player mocked her.
Cassie found herself back at Bullard High School. All of the students who she wished were her friends surrounded her. All of the cliques who ignored her from birth were here. "Hi, guys," she replied weakly.
"I can't believe they let you walk around here like that?" the head cheerleader giggled.
"You are so fucking ugly!" the captain of the football team bellowed.
"I can't believe that anyone would vote for you for Prom Queen!" the head cheerleader declared.
"You're what we call a double bagger. To fuck you, we'd have to put two bags over your face in case one of them slipped off," said the James Dean clone.
"You don't belong here!" said the Queen of the Cool.
"Yea, you're making us sick!" mocked the class clown.
"If I were as fat as you, I'd just kill myself!" the James Dean clone suggested.
"Please. . . don't," Cassie begged.
Caliban crept across the familiar hall. Remaining unseen, he passed the room where his sister lived in. Peeking into her room, he found her crying into her lace pillow. He visited his brother to discover that he was already asleep. He checked on his mother and found her drunk flirting with one of the servants. Smiling his secret smile, Caliban prowled towards his father's den, searching for his prey.
Like a panther, he stalked into the den and stared at his prey. With a glass of bourbon in one hand and the Wall Street Journal in the other, Franklin Ernest enjoyed his wealth. As much as he disgusted himself, Caliban loathed his father more.
"Greetings, father," Caliban growled.
Startled, his father spilled part of his drink. As Franklin Ernest looked up to see the monster his son had become, his jaw dropped four inches. "Get away from me you freak!" Franklin Ernest cried.
"But father, you always wanted me to become a monster," Caliban replied.
"Gary? Is that you? What happened?" asked the father.
"I have become my father's son," answered the monster.
"What are you doing?"
"I am going to punish you, the way I've been punished," Caliban cackled.
"What do you mean?"
Caliban looked at the withered husk that has been the terror of his childhood. In his prime, Franklin Ernest had been a robust man who enjoyed physical activities of any kind. Eternally chained to the wheelchair, Franklin Ernest looked closer to an animated corpse than a breathing human. "I'm going to pass on my curse in reverse. I'm going to make you one of us," Caliban told his frightened father.
Peering through the mystical fog, Bucky found the Five. He knew that the madness had already affected them. He could simply drag them through the fog, but that would trap their minds in their current state of madness, which would seriously disrupt his plans. In order to discover the secret receipt, he had to help them fight through the madness.
Marguerite closed her eyes and prepared for her death. She could hear the others crying for her blood and heeded the call. "Marguerite! Marguerite!"
That voice! It sounded like Bucky! She opened her eyes and stepped away from the zombies who were once her friends.
"Bucky! Its horrible! I killed them!" she cried.
"You didn't kill them," Bucky told her.
"What?" Marguerite asked.
"We're in the realm of madness! Its attacking you through your greatest fear!"
"Then they aren't dead?" she asked.
"Not yet. But unless you can help me they might die. Its all in your mind!"
"Why do I do?"
"Kill them. Kill what they represent!" Bucky advised.
"I can't," the vampire cried.
Bucky laughed. "Don't you see. These two images represent your fears. You act like nothing can touch you, but these two have. You're not only afraid of hurting them. You're afraid of them hurting you. You don't want to be vulnerable. You don't want to open up, but if you don't all of you are going to die."
"This is a trick!" Marguerite insisted.
"The only trick is to look into yourself," Bucky told her.
"Do make me do it," Marguerite pleaded.
Her two rotting friends laughed. Frantic, Marguerite's eyes turned scarlet and her hands morphed into claws. Viciously, she clawed the two dopplegangers, ripping them into non-existence.
The katana strike missed Elijah by half an inch. Desperate, Elijah jumped backwards in an attempt to buy more time. Was there a test he failed? Was he supposed to kill MacDuff when he journeyed back in time? Did he miss the path Tagami had selected for him? "Sensei, why are you attacking me?" asked the student.
"Because you failed me. You failed to avenge me!" Tagami screamed, attacking Elijah.
Elijah parried the blow, trying to buy more time. "Kincaid! Listen to me!" a shrill voice echoed.
Elijah stopped for a second. That voice sounded like Bucky. "All of this is a dream! We're in the realm of madness and you are fighting against your greatest fear! I know this is hard but you have to trust me! Try to remember!" Bucky pleaded.
Elijah parried Tagami's attack and tried to remember. He had always felt unworthy to follow in Tagami's footsteps. A vague part of him remembered the mission. "What do I do?" Elijah asked.
"You have to defeat your greatest fear!" Bucky explained.
"How?" Elijah asked as he parried another attack.
"You have to kill Tagami," Bucky revealed.
"No! I would rather die!" Elijah protested.
"If you don't, then all of the others will die. Remember the Seal? The forces of darkness will get it if you do not kill Tagami," Bucky told him.
"I don't believe you!" Elijah screamed.
Taking advantage of Elijah's distraction, Tagami disarmed him sending Ascalon flying across the hall. "You left your guard down! Weak! Weak! No wonder you are unworthy!" Tagami criticized him.
"Elijah! Remember who killed Tagami!" Bucky ordered.
Elijah paused for a moment. He remembered the death of Tagami. Bucky distracted Tagami so that Lucian could kill him. Tagami was dead! Elijah remembered. If Tagami was dead, then perhaps Bucky was telling the truth.
Elijah knew what he had to do. While Tagami wildly attacked, Elijah dove for his weapon. By the time, Tagami realized that Elijah had moved the tempo of the battle had changed. Elijah moved Ascalon from a defensive arc to offense and attacked. Surprised, Tagami was not able to defend himself in time. Elijah pierced Ascalon through Tagami's chest, who fell to the ground defeated and dead.
"Ruthie! Wake up!" Bucky cried.
For a brief moment, Ruthie found herself ignoring the beating given to her by Keith. The strange voice sounded familiar. "Ruthie! Its me. . .Bucky! You are in the realm of madness! Hell is trying to hurt you. You have to fight the challenge!" he told her.
"I can't. . .I can't fight him," Ruthie wept.
"You have to. You see, this is why your always so hard on yourself. Everything else you could forgive, but not standing up to him is killing you. You see you can't love anyone if you hate yourself, including God," Bucky told her.
Peering out of her bruised eyes, Ruthie looked at Keith for what seemed to her the first time. She had always thought of him as the strong one. He may have been a little violent, but that was just his way. Gazing into his heart, Ruthie knew the truth. Keith was always the weak one. He never had the strength to make it on his own. Whenever he lost a fight, a struggle, or money, he tried to suck Ruthie's strength.
"No more!" she muttered through clinched teeth.
"What! You talking to me, bitch!" Keith bellowed.
Angry, Ruthie made her stand. "Do not talk to me in that manner!" Ruthie ordered him.
Keith laughed. "What are you going to do about it?"
Ruthie smiled sweetly and took a step towards him. Keith chuckled. "Are you finally ready to play things my way?" he asked.
"Of course," Ruthie answered, preparing herself.
"It's about time," Keith muttered.
Smiling, Ruthie slammed her knee into Keith's crotch. Like Murphy, he slumped to the ground in pain. "You are quiet right. Its about time," she said.
"Cassie! Cassie! This is all the realm of madness!"
Cassie spun in a circle, trying to find Bucky through the crowd. "Leave me alone," she cried.
"Fight them. Believe in yourself," Bucky told her.
Cassie closed her eyes. Once, these people meant everything to her. She would have given anything to be part of their group. "I can't fight them," Cassie muttered.
"Don't you see? This is your test. You think you've been controlled by these people all of your life, but you haven't. You've given in. These people aren't real. They're your impression of how normal people should be," Bucky revealed.
"These are how normal people should be," Cassie insisted.
"No. They're a limitation you've put upon yourself," Bucky continued.
"How can I fight them?" Cassie asked.
"You have to reject them. You have to refuse to be bound by what they represent," Bucky answered.
"Is that all?" Cassie asked sarcastically.
"If you try, you'll find its easier than you think," Bucky encouraged her.
"Leave me alone!" Cassie muttered. The others cackled.
"Leave me alone!" the clique mocked her.
"I said to leave me alone!" Cassie ordered them.
"You don't want us to leave you alone," the captain of the football team protested.
"I wanted to be like you, but no matter what I did it was never enough! Leave me alone!" Cassie insisted. The clique ridiculed her.
Stoically, she unzipped her dress and let the silk material drop to her ankles. She stepped out of the dress and pushed herself forward. "I don't need you anymore. I have friends now. Real friends. I have myself. Maybe that's all I've ever needed."
Shocked, the crowd parted and let Cassandra pass them.
"Don't kill him Caliban!" Bucky warned him.
Only a few feet away from his father, Caliban stopped. He thought he had heard Bucky's voice. "Bucky? Is that you?" Caliban asked.
"Don't kill him. We're in Hell. Remember? I am supposed to lead you through the realm of madness. If you kill him, you'll be trapped here forever," Bucky answered.
"Do you know what this man did to me?" Caliban growled.
"No worse than my dad."
The old man whimpered trying to find the will to move. "He made me into the monster I am today," Caliban muttered.
"You have willingly made the decision to become a monster. Until you accept this, you'll never grow beyond this pain. Yes, that man is a monster and he set you on the wrong road, but you decided to travel that road. You decided to take his mantel."
"I guess I did. I am responsible for the man I am today," Caliban admitted. He had taken his first step towards becoming human. He accepted responsibility for his own actions.
Bucky lead the Five through the fog until beams of light shone through the mist. A thousand tiny voices whispered like a million cockroaches singing an opera. "I never want to do that again," Cassie declared as they stepped out of the realm of madness.
"Oh shit," Marguerite cursed.
An ocean of demons turned from their worship of the Pit. A mound of stairs built from the burnt souls of humanity lead to the mouth of the Pit where the blind High Priest cried to their Dark Lord. Catching a glimpse of something wicked waving in the Pit brought a dark cheer of malice from the Horde
The Horde had not fed on human flesh in almost two thousand years and their hunger was great. At first both sides were shocked. The Horde had never dreamed in their wildest fantasies that the Five would actually invade their realm. Seeing the limitless army of demons made even Bucky drop his jaw.
"We need to strike and strike hard," Elijah told them as he slid the Seal into his trenchcoat and drew Ascalon .
"What did you have in mind, Dudley?" Marguerite asked.
"Caliban, Marguerite, you two stay on the outside. I'm going to need you two to cut us a path. Cassie, we need illusions! When I say so, make an army as huge as you can think of at this point. Ruthie, I do not know what you did to the Shadow Lord, but we need you to do it again. When I give the word, you do whatever it is that you do. See if you can bring down the wrath of Heaven. Bucky, I need you to carry and protect Ruthie. She's the most vulnerable. Everyone else can heal. I'll take the point," Elijah ordered as the Horde slowly advanced.
"What? We're going to charge them?" Cassie asked.
"It does sound odd, Elijah," Caliban admitted.
"Listen to me. All my life I have been trained for this moment. They're expecting us to try to fortify ourselves. If we act now, we can cut through their ranks. If we are fast enough, we can reach the Pit," Elijah explained.
"Then we'll be trapped there," Ruthie commented.
"No, I can teleport us out of there. I think," Cassie told them.
"Why not have Bucky carry you, Elijah?" Caliban suggested.
"The demons would simply block the entrance to the Pit. When I step up to the Pit, I need you to protect my backs. I have a feeling that it is not going to be as easy as we think to toss it in," Elijah explained.
"We have to trust him," Marguerite stated.
The others agreed. As the Horde crawled closer, their figures became more clear. To Ruthie's surprise, all of the demons were beautiful, looking more like melted wax angels than her image of demons. The black hatred in their eyes combined with great beauty startled them. The demons fought each other for space as they slowly advanced towards them. Elijah waited until he could see that the Horde had spread part of its number. With the large concentration of demons in a small area, the Five and Bucky would have the advantage of a small unit. As long as they retained the fighting room, they had a chance.
"Now!" Elijah cried as he charged forward.
Cassie shifted to Fairy Form and circled above Elijah, waiting for his command. Marguerite and Caliban, each ready for battle, flanked Elijah and followed his charge. Ruthie allow Bucky to take her into his arms and fly directly behind Elijah, between Marguerite and Caliban.
Seeing their charge delighted the Horde. It had been a long time since they had such an easy victory. When the first wave of the Horde was in striking range, Elijah screamed to Cassie. "Cassie, now!"
Cassie closed her eyes and focused her concentration. Part of her mind remembered ancient memories and legends. Ariel had shown her the way.
Each of the fairyfolk have kept the Awakening alive. We take the spirits of the age and imprint them in our hearts. The heroes that are remembered by the mortals are felt through the Dreamweb. Every fairy throughout time sends their dreams through the Dreamweb to the Awakening. In the last days, the last fairy is supposed to take this Awakening and use it to give the universe a second chance.
She could feel Bucky supporting her power and imagination in ways that she would have never before conceived. Although she had gained a large measure of control in a short amount of time, Cassie knew she had a lot to learn. Bucky pushed the raw material of her ability and allowed Cassie to use all of the abilities at her command. Cassie reached past a point that she always been afraid to cross. Cassie pulled memories from her racial consciousness. Fairies from every point in time sensed her need and reinforced her power. When she opened her eyes, the sheer magic of the act stunned her.
A thousand warriors appeared through the Realm of Madness; The Light Brigade had arrived. The Awakening had begun.
SOMETHING STRANGE HAS HAPPENED. THOSE WARRIORS AREN'T ILLUSIONS!
"We do not have the time to worry about it!" Elijah yelled as he cut a demon down in his path.
The Horde made the time to worry about it. The Light Brigade was not only a legion of warriors, but the living essences of the dreams of humanity. Throughout the ages, humanity's vast network of dreams produced icons of unimaginable power. Elvis, the living embodiment of the American Dream, led the charge. Symbols that inspired the human soul to transcend the mundane flesh prepared to defend their creators. Thor, Hercules, and many other figures from mythologies across the world readied their weapons. Chiyanbara Masters throughout time gathered for this final battle; Tagami along with Siegfried, King Arthur, Ramayana, and Gilgamesh charged to defy the evil. Modern pop icons such as Superman, Captain Kirk, Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, and Santa Claus rushed into the melee. Upon seeing the Light Brigade, the Horde cringed. The Light Brigade were made from the best of humanity; the stuff of dreams.
Enraged, the Horde shifted the majority of their forces to fight the Light Brigade. This gave Elijah Kincaid the window he had hoped for. He sliced a path through the demons and Caliban and Marguerite made certain the demons fell. Although their rear was unprotected, Elijah hoped that their speed would be sufficient to keep the demons from attacking them there. He quickly lost count of the demons that he slew. He fought like a man who knew that his time had come.
Seeing the Pit from the distance had given Elijah a small glimmer of hope. If he had reached the Pit a few minutes later, he might have surrendered. Seeing the Horde reach for him filled his tired limbs with strength born of will and anger. Together, Elijah, Marguerite, and Caliban created a wall of death that no demon could cross.
Marguerite used her claws to slice through all of the demons in her way. The Horde quickly learned that the harnessed demons with her mind outmatched any show of force they could muster. Like a wild wolverine that has been attacked and pushed too far, Marguerite chewed through the field of demons. Unlike Elijah, Marguerite had been hit many times. Each time, she pushed her mystical blood through every cell of her body to heal her wounds. She quickly ran through her internal supply of blood. Her cells demanded more and more blood. The hunger renewed her strength and only sharpened her desire to slay the demons.
While Elijah and Marguerite used their anger, Caliban retained his cool. Efficiently as a machine, Caliban used his superior strength to pummel the demons to death. He found it odd that the demons died so easily. He had always imagined that demons would be strong creatures. As he throttled a demon by the neck, he wondered if that legend had sprung through lies in the same manner as the Shadow Lord's power. Seeing the shock on the demon's face, Caliban guessed that the Horde had never faced someone who would fight back. After releasing the demon, Caliban discovered to his complete surprise that he had lost two fingers on his right hand.
Bucky held Ruthie close to him, which made her feel uncomfortable and he enjoyed it. Besides helping Cassie reach her ancient ancestral memories, Bucky used his telepathy to dull the minds of the demons. Many of the demons Elijah had killed were partly mind controlled by Bucky. When Bucky found a strong demon, he shifted the demon's perceptions and had it fight other demons. By the time they had reached the half way point to the Pit, a small squadron of demons followed his command and killed their brethren.
Floating high above the battle, Bucky could see the Pit. He knew what would happen, which he not mean that he approved. He knew that the great Colonial Sanders in the sky had a plan. He knew that the secret to twenty pieces of chicken waited for him.
Ruthie closed her eyes and hoped the battle would pass her by. She wished she could fight like Marguerite, or even Cassie. She was afraid. She knew that the Lord would protect her, but she was afraid. Fighting had always frightened her. Carried by Bucky, Ruthie could only concentrate on her fears. Twice she the Hand of the Lord had touched her and used her body for His powers. Would He help her in the bowels of Hell? She knew Elijah had a plan, she only hoped he was right.
The battle quickly shifted. Even the Light Brigade could not withstand the might of the Horde. They knew that they were a holding action to delay the demons. By the time the Horde realized it's mistake, Bucky and the Five had cleared their path. Upon reaching the base of the stairs that would lead to the pit, they found that the Horde had turned from the Light Brigade and now moved towards them.
"Ruthie, now!" Elijah ordered.
Bucky lowered Ruthie to the ground. Caliban and Marguerite moved to place themselves between the Horde and Ruthie. Standing on the first step, Elijah looked towards the Pit and Bucky smiled. The Horde General ordered his golden trumpet blown. The sound of the blast grated their ears like fingers across a chalkboard.
Since her arrival at Jack's Bar and Grill, Ruthie had always suspected that it would come down to this. Despite what MacDuff had told her, Ruthie clutched her faith like a faithful teddy bear. While the others had slept, she had searched the Bible. She opened her Bible and turned to the place that her bookmark had highlighted. She had spent quite a few hours underlining the parts she felt that she would one day read and made certain she had it memorized. That day had come!
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony!" she prayed.
Silence. It was the eye of the hurricane; the eye of God. The sound of the terrible blast cracked their ears. It gave a few seconds warning before the blast. A vast explosion like a thousand nuclear warhead erupted from Ruthie. The waves of destruction devastated the demons. When their eyes recovered, they found that they were the only ones standing in the vast battlefield. Everything else had been completely erased.
Ruthie appeared less human and more angelic. It was both beautiful and horrifying at the same time. By taking a step closer to God, Ruthie stepped closer to becoming a whole human.
"I. . .did not believe," Caliban muttered with awe.
"Have we won?" Cassie asked with a cheer.
Elijah, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the First Seal of Creation. "No. . .not yet," he answered.
"Toss it in and it's Miller Time," Marguerite declared with a smile.
"It's not that simple," Elijah stated.
"Why?" Caliban asked.
"This Seal has to reach the bottom of the Pit. I have to make certain that it reaches the bottom," Elijah explained.
"No! That's fucking stupid," Marguerite protested.
Elijah stepped toward the Pit. "Look, and see what I mean," he told them.
Bucky and the Five climbed the steps to reach the Pit. Looking down they could see the hands of all of the depraved murderers and wicked child molesters through out time. The Pit had been built on their lusts and hatred and now they served their master well. "I knew it! The Arm Pit! Don't you guys see! This is it!" Bucky cried.
"Yes, you knew," Elijah said sadly.
"I will pray to God, He will know what to do," Ruthie declared.
"I already know what to do," Elijah told her.
"Throwing your life away is not the answer!" Marguerite snapped.
"Not long ago, I was told a story by a man named Iron John," Elijah began to explain.
"Iron John? I know him!" Ruthie cried.
"Me too! So what?" Marguerite asked rudely.
"He told me a story about a hero. A hero that fights against the machine. That is what all of this has been about; us becoming heroes and fighting the machine. I wish you could all see yourselves as I do now. All of you have grown. This is not something I wish to do, but I am the only one of us that can do it," Elijah explained.
"I have greater strength than you," Caliban argued.
"But do you have my will? Can you hold the Seal until the bottom?. I can. I am the only one that can go," Elijah told him.
"Hey! Don't think you can go with out me!" Bucky protested.
Elijah smiled sadly. "No. I am stuck with you," he agreed.
"Then, I'm going too," Marguerite insisted.
"No. That would be a waste. I once told Caliban that I could never expect love from you. What is my life compared to a life that could live until the end of time? As long as you are alive, so is our love. And so will our child. Remember what Cassie said. She saw you pregnant and me dead," Elijah declared.
"I can't lose you now that I've just found you," Marguerite cried.
Cassie looked down the Pit and knew that she would never see Elijah again. She began to cry softly, but quickly turned to balling like baby. She looked over to Ruthie only to discover that Ruthie was crying as well. Caliban felt sorrow. It was not often that his emotions surfaced, but he found that even a monster can shed a tear.
"It's been real kids, but we got to go," Bucky declared.
Elijah embraced Marguerite. "Promise to do two things for me," he asked.
"Yes, anything," Marguerite agreed.
"Kick MacDuff's butt," Elijah told her.
Marguerite laughed through her tears. "And I'll even make him like it," she agreed.
Elijah then sheathed Ascalon and handed the mystical sword to the vampire. "This is a special blade called Ascalon. It is a holy sword. Hold it until another comes to claim it," Elijah said.
"You'll need it," the vampire insisted.
"The Pit is not wide enough for me to swing Ascalon and I would rather not break its long chain," Elijah replied.
"Long chain?" asked the vampire.
"This sword is ancient. You may have heard of it by the name Excalbur," Elijah answered.
"You've been carrying Excalbur and you've never bothered to mention it?" Marguerite asked.
"We never discussed my sword," Elijah explained.
"I'll hold it for you," Marguerite declared.
"If there is any chance of coming back for you, I will take it. I will fight all of the demons in Hell if I have to," Elijah whispered to her.
"I know you will," Marguerite said sadly.
Elijah kissed the vampire's cheek. "I love you," he said softly.
Reluctantly, he released Marguerite and turned to Ruthie. "I believe," he told her.
"I know," Ruthie replied softly.
"I guess this is it," Cassie said as she shifted to human form.
Elijah hugged her close. "Please, buy some clothes," he joked.
Cassie wiped a tear form her eyes. "Okay," she said.
Elijah turned and extended a hand towards Caliban. Caliban grabbed Elijah with his wounded hand that was missing two fingers. Green slime wiped onto Elijah's hand. He no longer noticed.
"You are a good man, Gary and a terrible monster," Elijah told him.
"I try," Caliban agreed with a smile.
"It is time," Elijah decided.
Bucky and Elijah walked to the edge of the Pit and held hands. Elijah smiled. "I now understand," he told Bucky.
"I knew you would," Bucky replied.
Together they jumped into the Pit. Thousands of wicked hands grabbed them as they descended down the black hole. "Twenty Pieces of Chicken!" Bucky yelled.
"Let's go home." Cassie told them sadly, "There's nothing else we can do."
The sinister hands danced over their bodies and they descended into the sweltering darkness. Defiant, Elijah refused to drop the First Seal of Creation and accept sweet release. No part of his body escaped violation. With the grace of a mad elephant, the hands gorged out Elijah's eyes. Blind, the only sound he detected was Bucky's scream as they fell closer and closer to the bottom. Terrified, he tried to scream, but one of the hands gagged him. The inferno evil smothered him like a thick blanket. With each second, the Seal burned his hands a little more, but he protected it as though it were a small child.
Silence. Elijah hoped that Bucky had found his secret receipt. Sightless, he could sense that the end of his descent was upon him. Despite the best he offered of himself, he began to lose control. Dark colorless vertigo. Vicious agony. Chaste, tender, vivid whistling.