Chapter I

We lived and loved, and enjoyed what we could see. Until the Rainbow Demon came.

The sky had a brilliant silver sheen, glimmering flashes down upon the ashen-colored grass. It felt warm to lie upon its dew-kissed vastness, doing nothing more than idly noting the myriad smoky clouds listing by. In the distance there could be seen the taupe shapes of birds soaring west. A hand lazily waded into view, its skin a dull but rich charcoal. Healthy, young, vibrant and alive. My hand.

 

I turned to my love, only then allowing my eyes to fully open and take in her beauty. Even today, my heart stops at the sight, even if it is only in my mind any more. Her hair was the gentle color of slate, and her eyes were rejuvenating pools of cool gray. I had reached out to her, stroking a finger against her smooth, cinerous cheeks. Her orbs poured into mine, and I felt her smile.

 

My breath left me in a sigh. I propped myself upon one elbow, leaned over, and waited for her to arch upwards. Our pallid lips met. Never have I been more aflame. I could all but see the grayed fires within me.

 

A lilting chuckle tickled my ears, and she nuzzled between my arms. We sat, admiring the chrome and steel spires in the distance; the Shining City. The pearly sun dazzled down its radiance upon it, heating our faces in the reflection. I burrowed against her neck, nibbling tenderly. That gentle and ethereal laugh came again, and forcing but playful hands pushed me away.

 

I leapt to my feet, took her hand and pulled her up as well. We glanced over to our abandoned blanket, the remains of our meal still sprawled across its folds. She toed her half-eaten sandwich, spilling out its pale lettuce, dully shale tomato, and everything else. Daintily, I picked up a piece of meat, as dark as graphite, and dropped it in my mouth. Cold, but still savory.

 

She called to me while I was still chewing. I turned around, and my eyes caught her arched brow. She smirked at my puzzlement, and then she yanked at my shirt, pulling the sterling fabric off with almost enough force to tear. Before I knew anything else, I was down with her astride.

 

 

 

I will never forget the sound that roused me from that peaceful doze afterwards. Bells. The jingle of bells.

 

I pushed myself upwards, shaking pewter strands of hair out of my eyes. I looked around for the source of the bells, dimly noticing that the silver sun was now arced far off to one side. White shadows leaned to my right, my two-dimensional twin. I scanned across the ashen grasslands, yet spied nothing higher than the dusky trees in the immediate distance.

 

Sleepiness tugged at my eyelids, and my body was already easing back down when the ground beneath me trembled slightly. It must have been imagination, but the quaking became harder and faster. I bolted upright, and beheld it.

 

It rode towards the city atop a horse, that much I know. A single rider, surging forward with maddened intent. Both mount and horseman were just too distant to identify, but it was readily obvious they were not from here.

 

I roused my love awake, urgent in my words that we had to return to the city. She caught only the stranger's trailing image, but immediately understood the alarm and panic in my voice. We quickly redressed and hesitated only to shove everything back into the tin basket. Her hand in mine, we ran back home.

 

The sun had descended slightly by the time we reached the outskirts of the Shining City. There was silence. Not unusual, considering the reverence of the holiday, but still...

 

The air suddenly exploded with sound, and we both fell to our knees gripping our ears. The sharp explosion faded, giving way to the jingle of bells. My love recovered first, and she yanked me up and dove for a nearby alley. We dashed through to the avenue on the other side, where we finally caught sight of the stampeding crowds.

 

 

 

 

The air crashed with that same sudden boom, and we cringed against a sooty wall. People within the crowds fell, and the tail end of the mob passed. Alone, sprawled upon the granite road, was a single man. His arms and legs were bent at unnatural angles, clothes torn and sullied by the merciless trampling of feet. But his head, it lay burst apart like a melon, only instead of the sweet and watery quicksilver colored fruit inside there was this---this---red.

 

I can only tell you of this color now for in my travels I have seen it elsewhere and heard it called by its right name. But then, there was no word of it. This color was uncomprehendable; and yet it was there.

 

And it came forward, the unspeakable rider and its mount. My love and I stood from within the alley as it clod past, able to witness all of its detail and color.

 

The horse, a mass of muscled burgandy, easily stood higher than me at the shoulder; its red-maned head an ever-moving turret for its master.Tar-black hooves pounded into the street, their impacts leaving a jagged imprint through the ground. Tanned reins led back to crimson gauntlets , their deeply-curled grip a reflection of the bulging mass of the arm, clad in an azure shirt. Khaki stirrups with blackened iron rings and bolts suspended faded chestnut boots, partially covered by ancient vermillion chaps. Beneath them tensed powerful legs in equally aged saffron pants.

 

At the rider's neck was tied a deep, violet bandanna, richer in depth than it was old. It nearly draped the owner's broad shoulders, which threatened to burst from seams of its sienna-toned duster. As it rode past, the coat's tails fluttered forth, revealing the russet belts at the rider's hips. Holsters, ringed with golden shells filled with death. In one holster could be spied the twisted bluing of a pistol caught between the dark plates of ironwood grips. The other was empty.

 

Before it was completely past, the terrible, grinning helm upon the rider's head turned slightly and its bells jingled. The movement was slight, but I had no doubt; the Rainbow Demon saw us.

 

We ran.

 

Author's Note

I usually proofread my works, however as always I'm sure there are typos and syntax errors. I appreciate any and all notices of that, and will work to correct those. If I haven't do know that I did acknowledge your notice and try implementing it, but found that it detracted from the effect I wanted and so omitted it.

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*sighs*