Ch 47: The Four Horsemen

Grey still cannot believe he may have found an ally in Vanitas himself. He's in for further surprise as the Embodiment of Emptiness himself faces off against a new servant of the Nameless One.

            His identity revealed, Vanitas was unfazed as Grey exclaimed in disbelief, “The Seventh Spirit of Darkness who fused with Malum to become the Nameless One?! That Vanitas?!” Not taking his eyes off Malum, Vanitas merely said, “Don’t act so surprised. After all, it was thanks to you that I was able to obtain this new body and escape the Nameless One’s clutches. Though I am still bound to him in a sense because my original body was a part of him, the Nameless One’s will is that of a third, separate being born from our fusion. I have never been in concert with either of them, no matter what lies Malum has been spouting.” Vanitas flashed a grin as he added, “Also, now that you and I have made a formal contract Grey, until you have finished the training I have in store for you, you can consider me your Master.” Twirling his blades in his hands with an amused expression, Malum said, “Oh, I’m sure he’s thrilled about that!” 

Casually, Vanitas replied, “You’re just jealous Malum. You’re still dying to have his heart back, aren’t you? You went through so much trouble to obtain it, only to have it snatched from your grasp.” Ceasing to twirl his weapons, Malum struggled to hide his irritation as he rested a blade on his shoulder and muttered, “A thousand years trying to consume that heart and the fragment of power inside, and I still don’t understand. Even when he was but a mere mortal, why couldn’t the Nameless One simply absorb his power from the start? And why, even after merging with him to find the answer, could he not dominate him? Him, his brother, and his nephew here… the three of those Bastilles have each somehow been able to resist him in various ways. There must be some reason…” 

Looking over at Grey momentarily, Vanitas confidently said, “You’ll find Grey to be the most troublesome of them all. I won’t lie, he’s accomplished the very difficult feat of impressing me. Together, we will be the end of you, make no mistake.” Suddenly releasing hold of his blades, as wind surrounded them and kept them at his sides, Vanitas raised his right hand before him to show a glowing silver rune circle upon the back of it as he added, “And of course, even if it is still technically part of the Nameless One’s essence, this is MY sanctuary you’ve so rudely intruded upon. If you think that either you or even the Nameless One actually understand the true extent of my power, then you are a fool…” Staring at the rune circle in surprise, Malum thought, “The Seventh Seal…”

            Letting his weapons evaporate, Malum raised a hand and opened a dark vortex, and out of it appeared an unfamiliar figure. The newcomer wore a white helmet with a faceplate that covered his entire face. The helm itself was adorned with spikes placed along the top that gave it the appearance of a crown, and there was also a design of an eye carved into the faceplate. The rest of his clothes consisted of a long white cloak over a white suit of lightweight armor, and he held a white bow with blades affixed to both its limbs. Turning his head to look at his newly summoned ally, Malum said, “Your power is fully restored Pestilence. Stalling Vanitas should be a trivial task for you, but nevertheless, we don’t want to lose you right after your revival. Don’t be too reckless.” Pestilence merely replied, “As you wish, Death.” Leaping over to land on the frame of the broken window, Malum turned back and waved at Vanitas and Grey with a creepy grin, calling out, “Don’t be too hard on him now boys!” 

As he leaped out the window and disappeared, Grey exclaimed, “Damn b*****d’s getting away!” Seemingly unconcerned, Vanitas said, “I expected as much. Although I’m rather insulted that he thought the weakest of the Four Horsemen would be enough to occupy me for long if I’d actually intended to pursue him.” Raising his bow at Vanitas and taking aim, Pestilence said, “It’s unwise to underestimate your opponent. I may be the lowest ranked among us, but my abilities are still quite deadly.” As Pestilence started to draw the bowstring, Vanitas raised a blade at his side and chanted, “Nox Curator Sigilli.” To Grey’s surprise, a shell of darkness suddenly formed around him, completely protecting him but trapping him at the same time. Banging his fist against the shell a moment, Grey muttered, “D****t, you’d better know what you’re doing!” Glancing back at Grey once more, Vanitas simply flashed a grin. An arrow shaped concentration of what looked like white mist forming as he drew back the string of his bow, Pestilence fired the arrow at Vanitas and called out, “You’ll get killed if you don’t pay attention.” It went speeding through the air, and Vanitas turned to look back in his direction just as the arrow was about to strike him in the face.

            Despite being inches from his face, the arrow missed and went sailing into the wall behind where Vanitas had stood, Vanitas himself having moved aside with unthinkable speed. As the arrow struck the wall, the material of the wall around the point of impact began to dissolve. Surprised at Vanitas’ incredible last second evasion, Pestilence exclaimed, “What?!” Starting to walk slowly towards Pestilence, Vanitas calmly said, “As I thought, you won’t be much of a challenge.” Taking aim and letting fly another arrow, Pestilence said, “I won’t miss again.” As the second arrow came at him, it again looked as though it were about to strike him, but faster than you could blink your eye, Vanitas moved just enough to the side, and the arrow passed by. Vanitas continued slowly walking towards Pestilence, and becoming somewhat irritated, Pestilence began unleashing a barrage of his arrows. Time and time again though, Vanitas simply sidestepped his arrows with his instant movements. 

As he drew near, Pestilence started to back away as he continued to shoot, thinking, “What is this, speed? He always waits until the last second, and the entire time he’s simply strolled towards me. Is he just showing off?” Forced back almost to the wall, Pestilence finally stopped firing and said, “Your skill in evasion is impressive. I highly suggest you use it to flee while you can.” Holding up his hand, Pestilence began to form a sphere of white mist. Raising the sphere up, he hurled it at the ground and it exploded into a sea of white mist that swept over the entirety of Vanitas’ sanctuary. It seemed to corrode everything it touched, and certain of his victory, Pestilence said, “He should have heeded my warning. Still, the end of all things is coming soon enough.” Suddenly, Vanitas’ voice said, “I’m afraid I won’t allow that. Letting him have his way after using me like that… Don’t think any of you will get off that easy…” 

Staring in disbelief as he stepped through the mist to stand before him, Pestilence exclaimed, “How can you withstand my corrosive bacteria?! This may be a world within a person’s heart, but all the rules of reality should still apply!” Looking around as though he had not noticed the mist, Vanitas said, “They may apply, but I’m afraid that doesn’t mean much in your favor. As you can see, I am immune to your bacteria.” Again, Pestilence asked, “How?!” Raising a blade and generating a blast of wind in all directions, Vanitas cleared away the clouds of bacteria and replied, “Because I am a being that possesses an ultimate power, a power that can only be described as Instant Adaptation.”

            As Vanitas stood before him calmly, Pestilence repeated, “Instant Adaptation?” Leveling a blade at Pestilence, as the silver rune circle on his hand glowed, Vanitas replied, “Correct. It is the ability to adapt to any obstacle, to overcome any foe.” As he aimed his blade at Pestilence, a circle of light formed around the tip of it, and Vanitas poured EDE into the blade as he said, “Halo.” Sensing the energy building as the circle around the tip of the blade condensed into a single point of light, Pestilence raised a hand before him and said, “Take wing my children!” Seeming to spawn from the shadows inside his white cloak, a swarm of locusts flew out and gathered before Pestilence like a shield just as Vanitas unleashed a cataclysmic beam of True EDE at him. 

Annihilating the shield of locusts and blowing a gaping hole in the sanctuary’s wall, as the mighty beam sailed on, there was no sign of Pestilence. Or at least that was what it seemed to Vanitas, who was completely unaware as Pestilence moved as an invisible cloud of bacteria and reformed behind him, raising his bladed bow to strike. Seeing him reconstruct from out of nowhere, preparing to stab him in the back, Grey shouted, “BEHIND YOU!” He was too late, Pestilence’s bladed bow cutting a deep gash through Vanitas’ back as the villain brought it down on him. Falling forward onto the floor with a gasp, as blood poured from Vanitas’ gaping wound, Pestilence stared down at him and said, “It truly is a remarkable ability, but just as I had assumed, it grants no benefit when faced with a surprise attack. I’m sorry, but this is the end for you.”

            Turning away from Vanitas as he laid there with a pool of blood forming around him, Pestilence faced Grey, still trapped in the shell of darkness. Glaring back at him, Grey said, “You cowardly b*****d!” Waiting for the shell to vanish once Vanitas’ life had faded, Pestilence said, “It was a bit unfair of me, but his death was preordained, just as this world will also fall before my master’s might.” Suddenly the blade of one of Vanitas’ swords burst out of Pestilence’s chest, and as he let out a stifled cry, Vanitas’ voice calmly said, “Didn’t you hear me? I said I won’t allow that.” Turning his head to look behind him, as he saw Vanitas standing there alive and well, Pestilence choked, “Impossible!” Vanitas merely chanted, “Catenas Signatorum Aere Daemon.” As chains of wind formed to bind Pestilence in place, Vanitas pulled his blade free from his body. Diseased looking blood seeping from the hole in his chest, Pestilence gasped, “My plague coated blades… were ineffective as well?!” 

Rising into the air on the wind itself and taking aim at Pestilence with both swords, Vanitas said, “My body regenerated the wound and briefly analyzed the plague before generating a targeted response from my immune system. Even if I am struck, my Instant Adaptation reacts and learns accordingly.” A circle of light forming around the tip of each blade as the sliver rune circle on his hand glowed, Vanitas called out, “Let it be known to Malum Vanitas and all who serve him that Grey, He of the Infinite and my Lord in training, will purge you from this world! Twin Halo!” Both circles condensing into a point of light at the tip of each blade, not one but two incredibly powerful beams of True EDE shot down at Pestilence, and unable to escape the chains of wind, the villain was vaporized in a blinding flash. The aftermath of the blast finally settled to reveal a large portion of the sanctuary’s floor had been blown away, and as Vanitas floated over to land by Grey, he tapped the shell of darkness with one of his swords. The shell faded, and Vanitas said, “Well, that was pitiful…”

            As Grey simply stared at him in awe, Vanitas turned to the gaping hole he’d blown in the floor and said, “Excuse me while I fix this…” Snapping out of his stupor as Vanitas raised a hand at the floor, Grey said, “Sure…” Fluctuating energies forming where the missing floor would have been, they quickly crystallized into a new piece of floor to fill the gap. While Vanitas seemed to be looking over the floor appraisingly, Grey couldn’t help but think about the fact that Vanitas was right there before him, yet it was not the same villain he had been expecting, but instead someone who might actually be his ally. As he sensed Grey’s gaze, Vanitas glanced back at him and said, “Something wrong?” Looking away nervously, Grey replied, “Forget it. I should probably count my blessings...” Done inspecting the floor, Vanitas turned to face Grey as he said, “Well, since Malum saw fit to reveal such a thing so early, I suppose it can’t really be helped.” 

Changing the subject, Grey asked, “Who is that guy really anyway? He called himself Alias the first time I met him, which I guess really was an obvious lie, but then people started calling him Malum, and just now that Pestilence guy called him Death…” Grey could see his left eye glowing red in apparent aggravation through the shadows cast by his hood as Vanitas replied, “Malum Vanitas is another name for the being known as the Nameless One. The Observers who defeated him and the brothers who released him sometimes use that name, but since they believe it merely describes two beings, they rarely bother. The name itself is derived from the name of the Observer of Death, Malum the Horror Dealer, and the angelic name by which I am known.” 

Turning to the broken window to stare out it, Vanitas added, “His most powerful servant, Malum has acted in the stead of the third entity born from our fusion, who cannot take form without our completed core essence. Malum holds a position as one of the Four Horsemen, and his title is Death, the Rider of the Pale Horse, he who is followed by Hades. There are three others who serve the Nameless One, created from power stolen from the Observers. The one I just defeated was Pestilence, the Rider of the White Horse, he who rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. After him is War, the Rider of the Red Horse, he who was given power to take peace from the world. Then there’s Famine, the Rider of the Black Horse, he who plays with the scales of disparity. They have likely all been revived now using a large amount of the reactivated essence around the world.”

            Suddenly floating in through the broken window to land upon the marble floor of the sanctuary, Eazel said, “Am I interrupting?” Greatly surprised by his unexpected arrival, Grey exclaimed, “Eazel?!” Flashing a grin as he made his way over to them, Eazel said, “In the flesh! Well, technically this is a world within hearts, so I suppose not in the flesh really.” Looking around at the corrosion on the walls and the original section of the floor, he added, “Did I miss something?” Vanitas simply replied, “Pestilence was here.” His expression becoming serious, Eazel muttered, “He’s revived them? We don’t have much time left then…” Nodding in agreement, Vanitas said, “Yes. If he was able to revive them, he’s obviously regained a large amount of his power. Did you manage to retrieve the information I requested?” Gesturing for him to wait with one hand, Eazel rummaged around in his pocket with the other and withdrew a folded up piece of paper as he said, “I had quite a time making up excuses as to what I wanted it for. Letanya can be perceptive when she wants to be, but then she is the Observer of Knowledge after all. She probably figured out what I was up to anyways, though I doubt she’d tell anyone…” 

As Eazel handed the paper to him, Vanitas unfolded it to look at the information scribbled upon it. Completely lost as to how the two even knew each other, much less what they were up to, Grey finally reached the end of his patience and demanded, “Ok, would you two tell me what’s going on?! What is Eazel doing here too?! Heck, what am I doing here?!” Turning to Vanitas, Eazel frowned at him and said, “You didn’t tell him?” Folding the paper back up, Vanitas replied, “I’ve told him about Alastor. As for the rest, I was getting to it…” Frowning at Vanitas a moment longer, Eazel then directed his belted gaze at Grey and said, “When Malum first brought you here, I was unable to aid you, however those events nonetheless made me aware of this place. I used my mind’s eye to keep an eye out when Amy saved you with her Persona ability, and amidst the chaos I spotted Vanitas when he went to aid you. I thought his behavior was a bit odd for it to be at the Nameless One’s behest, and I decided to confront him about it.” 

Doing his best to put any lingering doubts to rest, Eazel said, “I feel certain we can trust him. He’s explained a great deal of things to me that I was unaware of, and enlisted my assistance. If what he says is true, not only is this a golden opportunity to put an end to the Nameless One and his madness, but we may even be able to save Alastor himself as well!” Seeming slightly irritated at this comment, Vanitas sternly said, “It will be an end to the Nameless One, certainly. However, dealing with the ones who set this all in motion will also be a pressing matter…” Facing Grey, Vanitas continued, “In any case, I have worked tirelessly to replicate the ancient seal that once held the Nameless One. Now that Eazel has brought me this information, it is complete, and there is only one step left before I can transfer the ability to use it to you, along with much of my own power.”

            While Grey stood there in mild disbelief, Eazel quickly spoke up, saying, “We cannot use it immediately after you obtain it though if we are to rescue your uncle. First, we will attempt to restore Alastor’s heart to his body in order to bring him to his senses. Then he can use that powerful will of his to eject Malum Vanitas from himself once and for all.” His patience reaching its limit, Vanitas suddenly said, “Enough Eazel. That lie was meant for you, not for Grey. I have no intention of attempting to save Alastor.” Standing there for a moment in shock, and then quickly approaching Vanitas with an angry air about him, Eazel said, “What are you saying?! Do you intend to abandon Alastor just when there might be a shred of hope for his salvation?!” 

Turning to him, Vanitas calmly responded, “Hope? I need more than such a vague notion as that to risk my neck. While it’s true that the loss of his heart was the reason he came to the conclusion that his dreams could only be fulfilled in such a way, there is no guarantee that restoring his heart to him will make those beliefs go away now.” Turning away from Eazel, Vanitas struggled to hide how troubled he was by his own words as he said, “In the dark corners of his mind, he has always resigned himself to believing that such a mindset was necessary, and now that the goal is within sight, a conscience may no longer be enough to stop him. I may have let Grey know the truth about his uncle’s past because there was a time when I called that man my friend, but I’m not so blind as to cling to that past and ignore what he has become…” 

Not about to be dissuaded, Eazel seemed to be glaring at Vanitas as he struggled to come up with a response, and breaking the silence between them, Grey put in his two cents as he said, “I never thought there was anything about him worth saving in the first place, so I’m not sure I can really make any objections, but… Alastor is technically a member of my family Vanitas. It’s looking like I’ve got more than enough reason to trust you, but are you really sure there’s nothing we can do to make him see that he’s wrong here?” Turning to face Grey, Vanitas sounded very sincere as he said, “If there were, I would have rushed to his side the moment I was revived. Besides, his body would dissolve without the Nameless One’s power holding it together. I admit I myself would be satisfied so long as there was some chance he could leave this world as the man he was, but I fear even that is beyond what we can manage…” 

Having heard enough, Eazel suddenly turned away from Vanitas in disgust and headed for the broken window. Calling after him, Grey said, “Eazel! Come on, it’s a bit harsh, but what can we do? At least stick around until my training is over! You’d be a big help!” Turning back to look at Grey with a sad smile, Eazel said, “You’ve already moved beyond the scope of my expertise Grey, so I believe it’s best that I leave this to Vanitas. Just promise me one thing…” Eazel’s very countenance seemed to plead to Grey as he said, “Make sure you hold true to who you are, a man who avoids the easy path, taking detours here and there to save those that need his help most…”

Author's Note

People will no doubt notice the bible references, perhaps even the little side notes like "he who is followed by Hades." I would just like to note though that Famine's side note, "he who plays with the scales of disparity", is not the bible's description of him. His was rather long and I found it somewhat odd and not really fitting for the character. Thus I came up with this, and I'm slightly proud of it if I do say so myself.