Author Note: Thanks to all the reviewers of my other stories. This is a translation of a very silly songfic that I wrote in French. (works better in French but I was bored..)
"My Love."
Silly DiR fic
It had been a long day or rather
night. The Dark had been harried to the ends of the earth by the
Hounds of Doom, those accursed dogs of Herne the Hunter. He had been
wounded, him, a Great Lord of the Dark. He touched the new scar that
now marred his handsome face and swore vengeance upon the Light, upon
Herne, upon everything...
He brooded, his mood as black as his
dress. Not only had the Dark been driven to the ends of the earth but
they had also missed the opportunity to seize the Signs - the Light's
ultimate weapon and one which at least one prophecy had predicted
would banish the Dark from the Earth and Out of Time - while they had
still been vulnerable and the Sign Seeker yet to grow into his full
power.
The other lords of the Dark and the
'personnel' made sure to avoid him.
"I need a drink," he
murmured to himself.
Being a Lord of the Dark he was, like
the Old Ones of the Light (though neither party would appreciate the
comparison), immortal and incapable of dying of either hunger or of
thirst. Nevertheless, even such beings who only appear outwardly to
be human, sometimes feel the need to have a drink when they are
stressed.
Like the Great Hall of the Light, the
stronghold of the Dark - where the greatest powers of the Dark were
now temporarily banished and were now licking their wounds and pride
- also has furnished 'rooms'. The Black Rider glanced around the
'room' in which he found himself and noticed a shelf lined with
bottles. One bottle in particular, labelled 'beer', immediately
attracted his attention and taking it down he flipped off the cap and
slid into a chair to start drinking.
Tepid liquid rolled down his throat
and it was perhaps because of it not being chilled that the beer
seemed to have a strange taste.
"Tastes a bit strange but not
entirely unpleasant." He took another mouthful.
In this great unwholesome fortress
there is one thing which is always there. A great room with nine high
backed chairs. A sort of throne room. Eight of these chairs were
occupied and then the occupant of the ninth, the Black Rider,
entered.
He held a long stemmed red rose in
one hand while in the other he held a beer bottle which seemed to be
empty. And he was.. reciting poetry. The other Lords of the Dark,
and some of the Dark's allies, threw him curious looks. Some of the
Great Lords, the same rank as the Black Rider, looked at each other.
"A..rose?"
"Poetry!"
"What's with him?"
A subordinate seeing the bottle could
not prevent himself from saying "Ah no, he didn't drink that did
he!"
"Why? It's only beer after all."
The White Rider's voice was cold.
"No my Lord, it was an..
experiment which I was working on. As you are aware my lords people
are becoming less and less afraid of us. Fear is no longer enough
for us to influence them. Then the solution came to me. People will
do anything for those that they love.."
If the subordinate noticed any of the
astonished, mocking or disgusted glances from his Lords he was not
troubled by them. Love is not really a well known sentiment to those
of the Dark. He continued.
"With this is mind, I thought to
develop a potion of seduction. A .. er.. love potion if you prefer,
so that anyone that drank it would do our least wish.."
"He drank a love potion!" One
could almost sense a note of panic in the White Rider's voice.
"I very much fear so my lord."
There was silence. The silence of
people who did not know whether to laugh or cry. Then someone said,
"Where has the Lord Black Rider gone?"
8888888888
A fire burned in the hearth, the
flames making the shadows in the furthest corners of the Great Hall
of the Light dance. Close to the hearth were three large chairs, high
and finely carved and occupied by three Great Lords of the Light. Two
men, one black skinned and white haired and the other, also white
haired, and with a jutting nose like an eagle's beak. A old lady in a
blue dress and wearing a large rose coloured ring was seated on the
last of the chairs.
They were speaking with Will Stanton,
the Sign Seeker, who was standing near a table with a candelabra, its
candles all lit. Suddenly the three lords raised their heads like a
deer scenting danger. The old lady spoke. "It seems that we
have company."
A small black tornado appeared in the
room, condensing into the shape of a man. A horseless Black Rider
looked around him. It saw the Lady of the Light and smiled. The four
Old Ones looked at him. His smile seemed.. genuine. They wondered
what he was plotting.
At the other end of the room,
invisible in the shadows, other 'guests' had appeared.
One of them, clad in white, whispered
"Here! But of all places, why has he come here! What does.."
He stopped, mouth hanging open.
The Black Rider had crossed the space
between himself and the old Lady of the Light and was kneeing in
front of her offering the rose "My love! Leave this place and
be with me! "
The Lords of the
Dark were no longer the only ones staring open mouthed. In the
silence which inevitably followed this declaration Will's voice was
amplified "Is it.. it is really him?"
The Black Rider ignored him. "What
do you say my love? Let us renounce what we are. Be mine."
The Lady's voice was gentle, the
tone not unlike that which is sometimes used with children. "Lord
Rider I think that you are not yourself.."
Will approached the chairs and leaned
over to murmur to Merriman, a wild desire to sing taking over him. He
singing softly "Rumour on byways says that the Black Rider has gone
astray. Well does his head merit to roll, the fate of all those who
have sold their soul."
Merriman forced his attention away
from the spectacle of the Rider and, his deep baritone almost
singsong, replied "Rumour says that the Dark lord has betrayed his
own, dishonoured his throne.."
Will and Merriman looked at the
kneeing Rider and sang in duet "Oh consequences be damned, you who
are certainly no saint do you think that one day life will never give
you plaint?"
The White Rider and some other Great Lords of the
Dark left the shadows from where they been lurking in the Great Hall.
This first looked at his compatriot and in a haughty, cold and
strangely musical voice, told him "You don't have the right!"
The Black Rider drew himself up and
staring fiercely at them all snarled "Don't speak to me about
right!"
The White Rider told him again "You
don't have the right!"
The Black Rider, his blue eyes which
were normally glacial, softened with sadness " I don't believe
that you will ever love."
The circle of Old Ones all sang "
You don't have the right!", only the Lady remaining silent.
The Black Rider haughtily stood by
her side and gently took her hand. He growled at everyone, his icy
gaze defiant "I don't give a damn what's said!"
Surprised, the Lady quickly withdrew
her hand and backed away a little. It had been quite a while since
she'd received this kind of attention.
The circle of Old Ones sang "You
don't have the right!" once more.
The White Rider advanced upon the
Black Rider and stared him straight in the eye "Rumour flies that
for you there is only way out! To save your honour, you must give
this 'flower' the clout!"
The other Lords of the Dark nodded in
agreement and chorused "Oh consequences be damned, you who are
certainly no saint do you think that one day life will never give you
plaint?"
"You don't have the right!"
Once more the Black Rider threw a
defiant glance around the room "What do you want me to tell you?"
"You don't have the right!"
He regarded all in the room
imperiously. "Why do you judge me so?"
"You don't have the right!"
He looked at his 'people', his eyes
imploring. " You my brothers, my compatriots.." His
'compatriots' responded " Oh why oh why the Light's lady,
your worse enemy?"
"It's not my fault, it's
destiny."
"Oh why oh why have you chosen one
such as she!"
"I live my life as I please, you
have no right to tell me otherwise!"
"You don't have the right!"
He spoke to them again. "With you I
was somebody, but without her I am empty!"
"You don't have the right!"
Proud to the end, he threw another
haughty glance at his accusers. " I have not betrayed anyone!"
From all corners of the room he heard
the reply "You don't have the right!"
He murmured fiercely "I don't
ask for you to pardon me! Without her life has no more meaning for
me..."
The answering "You don't have
the right!" faded until there was no longer even the least echo.
Silence reigned. The Black Rider shook his head like somebody who
has just awoken. He looked around the hall, at the Old
Ones and then at the other Lords of the Dark. He had the strangest
impression that something really bizarre had just occurred..
Then the other Lords of the Dark,
suddenly very embarrassed, firmly grabbed the Black Rider by the arms
and.. disappeared.
The Old Ones just stared, then
shrugged.
End