Tell me with the Rapture and the reverent in the right, right.

You vitriolic, patriotic, slam fight, bright light

Feeling pretty psyched…

- It’s the end of the World as We Know it (and I Feel Fine) REM

Brother Roger located the castle which was situated on top of the hill near the edge of town. Through the glasses, Roger picked up on the numerous wards and protective spells surrounded the castle's walls. The amount of magical protection made the entire structure hummed like a generator in the desert.

The Deacon, after notifying several allied Churches, arrived at the base of the hill. More armed parishioners began to show up, and the ranks swelled.

“The neophyte scouts report that there’s activity within the castle. The group inside is planning something big,” said Deacon.

“You were right,” his sister said to him.

Brother Roger fiddled with his tie as he scanned the castle battlements for movement.

“Deacon!” called a parishioner with a heavy Japanese accent, “It won’t take down much to take out those protective wards, 30 minutes at most.”

Brother Roger recognized him as a rising star in the Church and in the battle arenas. He went by the name Saffron Angel. While originally from AFC-Tokyo he recently moved to Chicago because he felt more connect to the Christian Churches in America.

The Deacon nodded behind his mask. A bright flash lit up the eastern side of the castle followed up with an intense pop sound. As the mushroom cloud climbed into the night sky Roger, Saffron Angel, Rachael and the Deacon were smacked by the pressure wave from the blast.

Mockingbird squawked in annoyance. The explosion was quickly followed up with several pops. Magic spells arched between the attackers and the castle defenders.

Saffron Angel bowed deeply, “I better go,” as he ran towards a group of people on the eastern side of the castle.

As the night wore on the bulk of the defenders were pushed back. Saffron Angel reported that the castle’s courtyard was taken. The blood red banners with three upside-down crosses were tossed from their poles.

Brother Roger, Rachael, and the Deacon traveled up the hill to the castle courtyard. A crude circle was drawn in the dirt with spray paint surrounded black candles. Roger and the Deacon said a silent prayer and blessed the site. Saffron Angel emerged from one of the rooms inside the castle.

“There are a few holdouts in the upper battlements of the castle. Baba Yaga was sighted in full retreat with some of the members of the House of the One God,” Saffron Angel said.

“Was Taaoon with her?” Roger asked.

“No, he’s in one of the towers with two of the Horsemen,” Saffron Angel replied.

“Then that can’t be her, she never travels anywhere without him,” he said hurriedly.

The Deacon and his sister nodded in agreement. One of the neophyte scouts waved from the battlement and shouted down

“The portal is back up!”

“The what?” asked the Deacon.

“Portal,” Saffron Angel said “When we first took the wall, we discovered a fully constructed portal. They quickly pushed their way through to the portal that was cast inside the castle.

“Is it safe?” asked Brother Roger looking at his pregnant sister.

“It is, sir,” said the neophyte scout “I’ve traveled through through and back. The other side is somewhere in the Hartz Mountains in central Germany.”

“That's where the witches celebrate Walpurgisnacht,” Brother Roger said to his sister. "I insist that I go first, before you."

Mockingbird puffed up on his shoulder. The Deacon stood next to her, his body tensed up.

The symbols glowed orange as one of the neophytes in plate armor stepped through and returned. Brother Roger nodded and stepped through. He felt a wave of nausea as he moved through space and time.

He landed with a splash on a soft wet ground. As his eyes adjusted to the ambient light he realized in a swamp and not in the mountains. He looked at his watch, as it adjusted to the central time zone. The humidity in the air made him feel that he was drowning.

As he adjusted his tie a sudden realization came to him, he felt this humidity before.

Mentally, he tried to contact the Deacon, his sister, oand Saffron Angel. He was answered with static. Even the connection to Mockingbird was difficult to hear.

“Go get help," he said as Mockingbird darted away.

A woman emerged from behind the trees. Her short pitch black hair was recently cut and she had fresh cuts on her face.

“It’s of no use,” the woman said. Her yellow eyes stared into his as she cautiously moved closer. Cradled in her slender hands was an ivory funeral urn.

“Who are you?” he asked cautiously trying to buy Mockingbird time.

“You spent all this time chasing me, like so many other guys and yet you still don’t realize who I really am?” she spoke softly.

Her hand went to her tank top strap as she played with it with her fingers.

“Barbra?” he asked.

“THAT’S NOT ME ANYMORE!” she screamed, she took a long breath into calm down.

“That’s not my name anymore,” She said again with more composure.

Barbra smiled at Roger as she once again slithered towards him. He reached for his pen sword, but she held up her hands as a sign of that she was unarmed.

“I’m weaponless, crusader,” she said softly. “Besides, you wouldn’t hit a pregnant woman, would you?”

Roger released his grip on his weapon.

“I and my brother joined about an hour ago, we were just waiting for you,” she moved her hand back to her stomach. “Our child will ride the beast as the Anti-Christ is born into the world!”

“KILL HIM!” commanded a voice.

“I will mother, just wait,” Barbra whispered to the side.

Acting fast, Brother Roger tried to cast a teleportation spell and to send him back to his Church. Years ago he and the Deacon set up an emergency portal so he and other parishioners could return to the safety of the Church in the times of emergency. Nothing happened.

“Don’t look so surprised,” she hissed. A hint of a smile went across her face. “Whippoorwill bound this area after our last mistake. Outgoing teleports are impossible, even for me.”

As Roger’s mind searched for a way out, Barbra lunged towards him with her sharp knife she summoned to her hand with a snap of the fingers. The thin blade penetrated his coat. Instead of finding his heart, it connected with the metallic object.

A burst of light exploded from where the dagger his is armored Bible. Barbra clutched her hands over her face as she attempted to shake off the effects of the light burst.

Roger balled up his fists preparing to strike her. He felt a sharp pain in his lower back. He fell to his knees as he lost sensation in his lower body.

Taaoon stood over him and in hand was a bloody kitchen knife. It was the same one he used to kill the younger Arab-German teen. Once Barbra regained her vision, she recovered the dagger she dropped from the light burst.

“STOP PLAYING WITH HIM, KILL AND FEED ME!” said the mother again.

Barbra obeyed and began carving symbols into Roger’s forehead.

“Once I finish, you will be nothing more than a mindless puppet,” she gleefully laughed.

“You don’t have to do this, I can help you,” he called out to her trying to fight back the pain.

“Oh yes I do! ” she happily replied.

Taaoon picked him up by the back of his jacket and held him up.

“You see my poor soul, my child is hungry and it’s been draining my powers. I need to feed my child souls for it to reach its full potential. The stronger the soul, the more powerful my child will be.”

“STOP PLAYING WITH YOUR FOOD!” cried out the voice.

Barbra continued to carve on Roger’s forehead.

“Mother needs a powerful host,” Taaoon quietly whispered. Brother Roger looked up at the funeral urn.

“The bait-and-switch,” muttered Roger, red blood ran down his face. “Do you really believe that you can fool the devil switching the Anti-Christ’s soul with your mother’s?”

Barbra and Taaoon both snickered.

“It’s worked so far,” she said.

From the slow moving bayou, a vulture flew in with a body in its claws.

“Looks like my pet brought back a gift. Whippoorwill predicted that you would try to send your avatar for help. That’s why our avatars were waiting.”

Vulture approached and dropped the head Taaoon’s plague dog from its claws.

“You cursed idiot!” spat Barbra.

Brother Roger, despite the searing pain, started to laugh. She turned her glare to Vulture who was cleaning its claws.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Manipulating people all this time you don't realize it can happen to you," he said still giggling. "Hubris will be your downfall."

Behind Roger he heard familiar voices; it was the Deacon, Rachael, Saffron Angel and two others.

“It’s over witch, put down that knife!” shouted the Deacon.

The body of the dog exploded with a pop. From the puff of smoke, Mockingbird flew out. The Mockingbird flew up and dive bombed Vulture.

“DO IT NOW!” cried out the voice.

Barbra screamed as she threw the funeral urn at the Deacon. She gripped her dagger firmly in both hands and brought it down towards Roger’s head.

Time slowed down for Roger as his life quickly flashed before his eyes. He could see the intensity of which Barbra was thrusting the dagger.

His sister was screaming, “NO!” Saffron Angel had intercepted the urn and sliced it in half. Dust was spreading out slowly. As he glanced back up at the weapon he tested his fingers and legs for movement. His body refused to obey.

Roger knew that Taaoon would do anything to protect his sister if she were harmed, including killing for her. His friends and family were in danger.

He had to end this once and for all. There was only one option.

“Lord, please forgive me,” he whispered.

Brother Roger closed his eyes for the final time. He focused everything he had left, his emotions, the love for his sister, God, Jesus and his friends.

His eyes and nose began to bleed as his body was transformed into pure light.

He recalled hearing something the Deacon said in a sermon, "light has a cost. The candle burns away the wax and the lamb burns away electricity. The light generated began to melt away flesh as he was filled with intense love for his friends and family".

He let out a gasp as beams of light poured from his mouth and eyes. With his energy burning away he focused the beams of light towards Barbra’s womb carrying the future Anti-Christ.

“May your child be a vessel for love and peace, may it never know a hateful thought,” Roger muttered to the baby.

His body felt weightless as he opened his eyes. He was no longer in pain. Standing before him was the long haired hippy from the coffee shop, Jesus. The faint voices of an angelic choir sang somewhere close by.

“Did I just die?” he asked.

“You flesh is no more, but your soul is returning home,” came the reply.

A hazy white light surrounded their bodies like a fuzzy blanket.

“I thought I was going to..you know the other place,”

“Because?”

“Because I killed myself,” Roger replied.

He started to get a worried look in his eyes.

Jesus gave him a kindly smile. “No, my friend, you sacrificed yourself. You didn’t kill yourself. There is a difference. Like the mother bird who fights a hungry wolf in order to protect its young, you sacrificed yourself to protect your sister, your friends, and even Barbara’s child.”

“And the Anti-Christ?”

“Not anymore,” came a voice from the direction of the singing choir.

The voice belonged to Mr. Bad Kitty who approached Roger and Jesus. He gave them a slight nod.

“The AC is more of a concept or title, not a person. The AC needs to meet certain requirements," he said examining a paw. "And after what you did, being filled with love and buttery wholeness would disqualify anyone from the job.”

Roger nodded as if fully understood what was just said.

“Are you dead too?” he asked.

Jesus sighed, “He comes and goes, and generally makes a nuisance of himself on a regular basis.”

Mr. Bad Kitty gave a chestier-like grin, “It’s a cat thing.”

“So what do I do now?” asked Roger.

“That’s for you to decide,” Jesus replied.

Brother Roger reached up to adjust his tie and suddenly stopped himself. He felt he no longer needed to. Mockingbird was inside of him, singing a peaceful song.

The music from the choir grew louder. He followed the sound of the heavenly chorus and walked into the light.

***

Somewhere on the earth realm, dust of corruption had entered the bodies of four devout people. A divided soul began to whisper evil lies.

Elsewhere a fetus, still in the womb, conceived from original sin, whose sole purpose was to spread death and destruction instead opened up her eyes and only saw hope and love.