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The Angel of Vengeance
A Sailormoon Vignette
Part of the "Dances Set To The Music Of Time" sequence
Written by Elsa Bibat
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1829:
Edmond Dantes opened his eyes slowly. The feel of
soft sheets and the slow rocking that was part and parcel of
travel by boat. His eyes confirmed this. The sight of a
shadowed cabin filled his vision.
He could have sworn he was dead, drowned in the stormy
seas around the Chateau d'If, but it seemed he was still
alive. Barely, but still alive. But with the knowledge of
one who has teetered on the edge of death for years, he knew
that he would be dead in a few hours. Sighing hurt, but he
did it nonetheless.
"That is a strange reaction from a lucky man such as
yourself."
The voice seemed to come from nowhere. Blinking in
surprise, Dantes was even more surprised when a person
appeared after one of the shutterings of his eye.
Tall and imposing, he was dressed in the black evening
clothes of a gentleman. A handsome hawklike face stared down
at him with eyes that had an eerie piercing quality in them.
Taking a nearby stool, the man sat by his bedside. On the
man's hand, a ring adorned with a strange jewel changed
colors in the dim lamplight with hypnotic frequency.
"A lucky man to have escaped the Chateau d'If-"
"Monsieur-"
"Hush, young man. I am aware that Chateau d'If is
not exactly the prison for deserving fellows. And France,
whether under a republic or a monarchy, has this tendency
to wrongfully imprison people. I know of this Valjean fellow
who can probably say the same story as yours. You will not
be returning to that hellhole."
The man's smile reassured Dantes. He could only smile
back ruefully.
"I think I will not be returning in any case,
monsieur." Dantes said with regret in his voice.
"Yes, I think so, too. Haidee told me that you were
weakening and have a few hours left. That is why I am here."
His incomprehension must have been evident as the man
smiled.
"You are puzzled, my friend? Well I would be puzzled,
too, if I were in your place. But trust me, I am here to
render you a service. People who are in need of my services
have this tendency to find me. You could say the river of
Fate always manages to drive them to me."
"So, the Devil has come for Edmond Dantes at last, it
seems. Another misfortune piled upon my mountain of ill-luck."
Dantes responded in jest, feeling put upon by arrogant man
before him.
The man laughed. It was a laugh that made Dantes'
soul tremble with its inherent power. Maybe this was the
Devil after all. "No, Edmond Dantes. I am not the Devil. But
I do have power in this world of the flesh. Enough to do a
service to one such as you, without asking for his soul."
The dark man said this with utter sincerity that Dantes
could believe him. The man's eyes shone with the power of the
will behind them and he knew he still had a chance for
vengeance.
"Tell me your story then, Edmond Dantes. Better, tell
us both. My sister and I will seek to assist you."
Edmond Dantes was so preoccupied with his host that he
had noticed the entrance of the woman wearing an elegant
black and white dress. Black hair that had strange greenish
highlights framed a beautiful exotic face. Reddish eyes
peered down at him with the same power that the stranger
before him had.
So there, in that dark cabin in ship that he did
not know, Edmond Dantes told his tale of injustice and
his wish for vengeance to an audience of two.
As he finished his tale, Dantes felt a constriction in
his chest. His time had come. Pleading eyes gazed up to the
blazing eyes that were by his bedside. Their owner knew what
Dantes wished for and the dying man almost felt pity for
Danglars and compatriots, a feeling he quickly squashed.
He tried to speak.
"Your...name, monsieur...I would...know your-"
"I have had many and will have many more. But for
this moment, I am the Count of Monte Cristo."
"The Count...of Monte Cristo." Dante breathed.
"Yes, and for you I will be the angel of vengeance.
Know, Edmond Dantes, that in this uncaring world there are
still men who believe in justice, that righteous men will be
avenged and evil will suffer punishment. This I swear by the
King I once served and the Queen who is to come. The Count of
Monte Cristo will bring your vengeance."
"I thank...you. But two last...favors, monsieur." Speaking
hurt, but he managed to speak more.
"Anything, Edmond Dantes."
"Monsieur Morell...see him and...do right by him."
"That will be done."
"And...take my name. Be...Edmond Dantes and...bring
vengeance in...my name." It was getting cold. So cold.
"I promise. In your name, Edmond Dantes, in your name."
"Then...God bless you, monsieur."
With that, his final sight that of the blazing eyes of
his host, Edmond Dantes closed his eyes and commended himself
to the light.
*******************************************
Author's notes:
Another vignette, another epoch. The terrible siblings
are messing around with the French again. ^_^
Anyway, this was inspired by Jean Marc L'officier's
French Wold Newton article that Edmond Dantes could not be
the Count of Monte Cristo from his website "Cool French
Comics". Google it for more French coolness.
BTW, to those familiar with the novel, I have made
the modification that Dantes knew most of the story behind
his imprisonment. That is explained via the simple expedient
of fourteen years of concentration on the problem. Meditation
on a problem for that long solves it inevitably.
***********************************************************
* *
* DANCES SET TO THE MUSIC OF TIME *
* An Epic History of Humanity *
* From The Age of Silver *
* To The Age of Crystal *
* And Beyond *
* *
* http://rakhal.com/florestica/elsa-bibat/index.html *
* *
* Other fanfiction by the same author: *
* http://rakhal.com/florestica/elsa-bibat/index.html *
* *
* Kindly archived by Larry F and *
* The Lost Library of Florestica: *
* http://rakhal.com/florestica/ *
* *
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