The Greatest Crossover The World Has Ever Witnessed...

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

...Except not.

Title: Scarlet Blossom
Word Count: 257
Topic: Flowers
Rating: PG for implied violence
Pairing: Zoro/Der Tod, Slight SanZo
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.

Twenty points to anyone besides plotbunny_tiff or chibi_trillian who can tell me exactly where our special guest comes from. And no, it's not Gaiman.



The crimson flower blooms, scattering its brilliant petals to the wind.

Blood.

The edge bites deep, clean and painlessly through flesh.

Steel.

For a moment, he forgets where he is – who he is.

For an instant, he faces Death.

Death is pale and beautiful, luminous while clad in darkness.

Death is the final opponent – the undefeated master.

He goes to draw his swords and finds his strength is gone, used up in the battle that brought him here.

Death smiles a serpentine smile, slides up beside the swordsman and opens one slender hand to show a single scarlet blossom.

The dark is cold. It leeches the color from the flower, and he tries to find the strength to fight back.

Death winds a cool arm around him, entwines their fingers in a grasp of iron and silk, and moves in to kiss away the last of his resistance.

His memories grow dim – the death shroud consumes the girl’s dark hair and fair skin, and Death is still there, smiling at him.

Heaven heard you, Death assures him. You are Greatest.

Their lips finally touch, and he remembers gold and blue so vibrant that even the dark can’t swallow them. Fire fills his numb body.

What he needs, he realizes, isn’t something to fight for, but against.

He pushes away from Death, whose pale face reads surprised, then cold.

Someday, Death promises, kissing the once-more crimson flower before vanishing into the shadows. Someday.

His life once again in his own hands, Zoro just grins and opens his eyes.

End

Comments

[vampire-otaku.livejournal.com]

As always, you have brought a beautiful fic into the world. The mental pictures your words conjure in my mind are indescribably vivid and painted with emotion. I like how you pictured Death as almost a seductive lover in this, pale and beautiful, luminous while clad in darkness as he offers a flower and a kiss. How you described him as the final opponent – the undefeated master. Damn, I could just about quote the whole fic and its utter beauty.

What he needs, he realizes, isn’t something to fight for, but against. Don't we all, Zoro. Don't we all...

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. I was actually considering trying to turn this into a comic, but now that you've said you like the wording so much, I'm not sure I can do it justice...

And I'm very glad Death came across the way I wanted.

[vampire-otaku.livejournal.com]

I don't know, a comic could be rather interesting. If you had the time and decided to do it, of course. Art and words each have their own standard of beauty. :D

[fenm.livejournal.com]

Niiiice. I notice you don't give Death a gender.
I have no clue what this form of Death is from, but it's cool. ^_^

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Death's gender gets into a very messy kettle of fish that stems from where this version comes from... Which shall not be revealed until a later date. Thank for reading and commenting!

[talanokomis.livejournal.com]

(For some reason I'm thinking Death is from Dawn's world.)

And such lovely writing.

Their lips finally touch, and he remembers gold and blue so vibrant that even the dark can’t swallow them. Fire fills his numb body.

That just really jumped out at me, when I read it.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Dawn's world? I don't think I'm familiar with that...

Thanks muchly!

[talanokomis.livejournal.com]

Dawn, is a comic. She's a Goddess, her lover is Death. (who was pretty much unbeatable in life as a warrior) The only other two I could think was one from a poem and another from Piers Anthony (i think his book is Death Rides a Pale Horse? It's been a while since I've read it).. but his Death is sort of.. not so much a fighter, really.

[ptps.livejournal.com]

Ugh. *gargles incoherrently* I love your descriptions, they're just so fantastic. Especially how you compared the spilling of blood to that of scattering petals. Arghargh T_T And Death is so slinky and creepy and... agrhwegtkELSKHS WORDS FAIL ME.

T_T

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. I worked very hard to try and give Death the same kind of personality as the original source material, and I'm glad to see it turned out right. ^^;

[orange-smaug.livejournal.com]

God, your writing is always unbelievably beautiful. And I'm sorry to say that I have absolutely no idea ;_;.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thanks muchly, and don't worry about not knowing... It's a very obscure source. I really don't expect anyone to guess.

[kotszok.livejournal.com]

ZORO IS INDESTRUCTIBLE. Seriosuly though. *shudders* I love the description.

ALSO! It's the death from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life!!! I'm one hundred kerbillion percent sure! XD *titters*

[kotszok.livejournal.com]

Hur hur hur XDXDXD It's just... so much love.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes he is. Thank you very much.

Erm... wasn't the Death I was thinking about... *tries to combine mental images and fails* ^^;

[the-shy-wolf.livejournal.com]

Sandman! No wait this death is genderless and Sandman's death is female...I have no idea. Not that it matters since I love this drabble so much!

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Yeah, not Sandman. You'd think people would be running out of "Death"s to guess... ^^;

[noodle6680.livejournal.com]

The first thing that came to mind was Kuina. o. O

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Ah, nope. Not her. ^^;

[mango-32.livejournal.com]

I love the beautiful imagery you created there. Awesome. (Sorry for my lame comment and lack of words here^___^)

And I couldn't have guessed where this character came from.

Re: please tell?

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much! (It's quite all right. Please forgive my late response, I keep forgetting to check.) ^^;

please tell?

[(Anonymous)]

There are too many gods of death floating around lately, I give up. Take pity on the befuddled squibbly anon? Please?

Re: please tell?

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Der Tod is from the play Elisabeth. I really didn't expect anyone to guess -- it's a relatively obscure German musical that was later adopted by the Takarazuka troupes in Japan. There is no English version, so I highly doubted that the English-speakers would recognize him.

Specifically, I had Haruno Sumire (one of the people who play Der Tod in Japan) in mind while writing this. ^^; Hope you aren't terribly disappointed.