Thus Speak Prodigal
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Disclaimer : As of the last few threads, I will not repeat myself here. And now the conclusion....
(a)Runoa's Heart
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(as contributed by Rinoa Heartily with minor editing)
As she was sleeping in her usual long endearing slumber, she had a dream. It was a man in a black armour who emerged from the horizon, riding on a galloping black horse. As he approached nearer to her, she saw his face. That was the courage in his eyes and the force of his presence had totally overwhelmed her with spirit.
"No! Don't go," she woke up with a start, "It is him again! Prodigal...ohh....When can I get u out of my mind?" She sat up on her water bed, and looked out of my castle miniature window, asking herself the same question over and over again. Her original decision was not to see him anymore, as he had abandoned everything and that included her. Finally she came to an answer,"It is time for a revival."
She was none other than the goddess of Love, Runoa. She quickly changed to her white long satin dress and headed to the garden when she heard her seven foot tall and strong bodyguard, Clone said, "Mistress...I have got news for you..."
"I know, Clone. I can feel where he is. Despite that I don't wish to see him, I could not yield to the temptation to go and seek him. My brother Fate told me that I am going to see him soon and I can sense it now in my heart."
"But he is now on dangerous ground. You do not know what is going on and and going to hell is not a trivial matter." Clone spoke in full concern for his mistress. "Besides, he had broken your heart once, and do you want that to happen again?"
"No, if I have to go thru this once again, I shall. Say no more, Clone. I have decided to see him again." Runoa had made up her mind to seek the Prodigal,"Prepare my steed, and we would set off to Sheol, the entrance to Hell." She has finally yielded to her heart and had begun her journey to seek the Prodigal.
(b)A Duel on Giving Up
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(Inspired by a comic series entitled "Sandman" by Neil Gaiman)
The prodigal had managed to keep his cool after hearing the Devil's decision to quit hell, and giving him the key to hell. It is something which was certainly out of his expectation. He thought that the Devil would give him a difficult philosophical problem, but it ended up to be a strange proposal. He looked at the Devil who was now smiling at him.
"Why?" the prodigal asked.
"Because I am tired of guarding this realm for the old man." said the Devil,"Hell is a kind of purgatory, the intention was to have a place where the sinners could seek their punishment here. You see, hell is a place where people cannot forgive themselves. In truth, I don't bring people here. They die and their souls come to my realm for asylum, because they could not forgive themselves. I am tired of being this faked adversary to the old man for so long."
"Even if this is a cosmic plot between you and him, surely you don't have to give up hell," the Prodigal said, but was trying to understand why the Devil would make such a move.
"Well, I am tired of being labelled the bad guy all the time. You see, all those mortals who have committed their own acts of sin, ranging from murder, rape, robbery or unpardonable acts would always make the saying that "The Devil made me do it.". However, in truth, I have never made them do anything. I just provided the agents of temptation. They are responsible for their own actions.
They use my name as if I spend my entire day, sitting on their shoulders, forcing them to commit acts they would find otherwise or repulsive. The mortals live their own tiny ives, and I don't live it for them. Then when they die and they come here (having thought against what they believed to me right) and expect me to fulfil their desire for pain and retribution. I do not make them come here. To get out of the cosmic game, the only way for me out is to quit. Then they like to speak of me going around and buy souls like a housewife going to shop in the market everyday, never stopping asking themselves why. I need no souls and how can anyone own a soul. They belong to themselves and they just hate to have to face up to it."
"That is indeed surprising to hear from the Lord of Hell." the prodigal said, and at the same time, he was calculating on another frame of reference, trying to guess what the Devil was up to. "For you began as the wisest and the most beautiful angel of all in the beginning. You rebelled and then banished to Earth."
"Yes, Prodigal, at first, when I first gained control of Hell, I have the enjoyment of controlling it, and manipulate the demons and the fallen angels to fight against each other. As time progresses, it just become so mundane that I need new excitement. I would like to change, like being a piano player in the lounge, or be like you, a wanderer. So, do you consider to take over my realm? The key is here, and it is up to you."
"S.A. Tan," the prodigal mused to himself,"That was a nice speech, but I am not taking up the offer, because I have figured out what you have in mind." He threw the key back to the Devil.
"I do not understand what you mean," the Devil looked puzzled at the Prodigal. He seemed honest.
"I have to applaud at your efforts of being sincere but it just came to my thoughts that I understood what you have in mind. The whole point of the duel is based on whether I would take your realm. If I do, it means that you have "given me Hell" in the literal sense. The problem is that taking Hell is not just a responsiblity but a curse."
The Devil smiled at the Prodigal, but in his heart, he was burning with anger that the Prodigal had seen through his plot.
"For a moment, I have succumbed to your temptation of relieving you of your responsibility. However, as a former Endless, I have a former representation of the Universe, so I realized why you are doing this. The whole idea is that you want me to suffer your fate. The whole problem about being an entity is not about gaining more control, but to be relieved of that control and do whatever he pleases."
The Devil clapped his hands, and said,"Very intelligent indeed, and I am beginning to be aware of what representation of reality you took in the Endless. But look around you now."
The prodigal looked around and found that he was surrounded by millions of souls, demons and devils crowded around him.
"There is no hope, Prodigal," said the Devil,"Yield to my offer. You have no choice."
"No choice, who says that I have no choice," the prodigal said in a very strong and bold voice,"Who says that there is no hope in Hell? Who says that there is no dream? You souls, demons and devils ask yourselves, what power would Hell possess if those who are trapped and imprisoned here since all of you were not able to dream of Heaven?" The crowd made a lot of noise, and suddenly, a pathway was opened in the midst for the Prodigal.
"Very well then, Prodigal," said the Devil, "You are free to go with your friends."
(c)Because we hope
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Bish and Torrants were caught in the midst of facing the wrath of the hurricane conjured by the two minions of the Devil.
"Bish, let's give it all we have," Torrants raised his hand and summoned his hourglass. Similarly, the god of War has also conjured his flaming sword.
"Let us now end it all!!!!!" Bish shouted, and both of them struck into the hurricane with their combined powers. In the midst of the contact, the battleground sank in explosion. It was like a nuclear holocaust for a few seconds.
Torrants and Bish were next seen, fallen to the ground. Torrants' tunic was shattered to pieces by the blast. His lips were slicked with blood. His hourglass was intact, but his hands were burned badly. He was holding on because he had told himself that he would not die until he found his love. Bish, on the other hand, suffered less injuries than Torrants. His armour was charred to bits and pieces. His bare muscular body was decorated with scars and wounds that was inflicted upon the explosion. He struggled to stand up and see where their enemies were. However, they were nowhere to be seen. The landscape suddenly transformed into a barren area of ice. There was nothing buy icy alps surrounding them. It was as if they had been thrown out of the realm of Hell.
"Well, guys, you are safe," a voice came behind him. It was their friend, the Prodigal.
"What happened, Prodigal?" Bish asked, as he could not figure out why they were here.
"We have departed from hell, I have won the battle against S.A. Tan. As promised, he gave me the whereabouts of Mayar. Torrants, she is presently in the land of the Faeries, living under the care of Queen Amanda. You can seek her out once you have recovered."
"Thanks, my friend," Torrants appreciated the effort of his friend in obtaining the most important information which he needed. "Well, how did you beat the Devil?"
"Well," the Prodigal smiled,"All in the name of Hope. Come on, my friends, it's time for food and drink." There was an engima of mystery shrouded over the Prodigal, as though there is nothing more to be asked and said about him by his two friends.
Torrants, Bish and Prodigal smiled at each other, as they had survived one of the most powerful and difficult places in the cosmos : the Hell. As they were walking slowly out of the barren icy land, far above the mountains, stood the Devil in his beautiful white suit and his consort, Hallo Kathy who was also wounded as gashes and wounds and can be seen on her face and body, with her clothes tattered and torn. The Devil clenched his fists tight,"Someday, Prodigal the Endless, someday, I will destroy you." Well, one of the famous lines of the villains.
"So, what are we having for dinner?" Bish asked,"I am up for 10 pints of beer and lots of meat."
"Well, I guess, I will say that there is no lesser food than that." Torrants said. "We can get the Lord of Parties to cater the food for us and get Ack to join us."
"Well, guys, it looks like now that I can't join you all now." said the Prodigal in an solemn mood, as the three friends saw a seven foot tall man with a pole stick standing in front of them. He has been waiting patiently for the three men. His pair of eyes were as sharp as a eagle, waiting for his prey to be there. He had a strong physique.
"Prodigal, my mistress wants to see you and you are to follow me to see her," the seven foot tall man spoke in a low and cold voice.
"Clone, tell her that I would not see her," the Prodigal said.
"You will abide, otherwise, I will take you to her by force," Clone said as he charged straight to the Prodigal. The Prodigal moved forward in an engaging position of combat. The ex-shaolin warrior threw a quick punch right into the Prodigal, and was blocked carefully by his opponent. At the next instant, the Prodigal swerved his hands to grab his opponent's left hand and tried to throw his opponent. He was about 1.5 feet shorter than the ex-shaolin monk.
"Do not force me to hurt you, Clone," said Prodigal,"You do not understand."
"No," Clone yelled, as he punched onto the chest of the Prodigal with his right hand. The knuckles on his fist were so strong that the prodigal was thrown away for a few feet away.
The prodigal landed on his feet, but his mouth was spilled with blood. He was angry that he was struck by the fury of a monk. He took off his trenchcoat, and sunshades. His eyes were filled with anger.
"You will now face my fury for being rude to an Endless," the Prodigal said, as he clenched his fists. Quickly, he jumped up into the air, and attacked the monk with a few flying kicks. The monk defended his attacks well and tried to return punches back on him. The Prodigal landed and tried to parry the heavy punch coming from the servant of the God of Love. He lifted his right hand to block the hard fist of the monk.
"It's time to end it all," the Prodigal said, as he twisted the hand of the monk with his right hand, and use his left hand to punch into his opponent hard and fast. The attack was so fast that the monk could not see at all. He was thrown off apart, and the Prodigal had prepared to send his opponent to an unconscious state. He rushed towards the fallen man and prepared his final blow.
A weave of white cloth came from nowhere, and struck the prodigal by surprise. The prodigal was slammed to the side of the ground. He turned and found a beautiful lady in white who was tending to the wounds of the fallen ex-Shaolin monk.
He stopped and had his eyes gazed on her. Similarly, his friends Bish and Torrants were dazzled by her beauty. It was that of a goddess descended from heaven.
"Prodigal, it has been a long time since we have last met," she said as she looked at the wanderer with her pair of blue crystal eyes.
"Yes, Runoa, my goddess of Love," the Prodigal said,"It has been a long time." He looked back at her and many feelings were lost and found in his heart.
It was the ending of one trial and now the beginning of another.
[End of Part I]
[This message has been edited by prodigal (edited 08 February 2000).]
