"So...what exactly...are you?"

The girl at the computer turned to grin at the slightly nervous form of Ty, her short, dark blonde hair bouncing around her ears, falling across her bright blue eyes. Her expression was one that might signify internal laughter, as she saved her work and stood to face, her head barely passing his shoulder while she wore her steel-toed, work boots. Wearing skater jeans and a baggy, black T-shirt, she made it difficult to see that, beneath the masculine appearance, she was actually rather petite. Her attitude, however, was nothing near her apparent size.

"My sisters and I," she replied, grin broadening, "are known by many names. According to most, however, we are the ‘Four Horsemen.’"

Ty blinked. "You...you mean...of the Apocolypse?"

She nodded.

The goth leaned back against the wall and slumped down into a sitting position. "You’ve gotta be kidding me..."

"Gomen, sweetheart," she laughed, "but I’m not. According to the Four Horsemen mythos, my name is Pestilence. I have the ability to place disease within everything and everyone around me, even computers if I really wanted to, though I prefer to use mental illness. Those are much more fun."

"So...you make people suffer..."

"No, no, no. You’ve got me all wrong. I can remove disease as easily as I can place it. As I said, I prefer to work with the mind. Most creativity and creation comes from my handiwork. Look at anything, I mean anything, that you use on a regular basis, and the invention of it was mostly likely, in some way, my doing. Few people can truly be artistic without some sort of insanity within their beautiful brains," she sighed, her expression now a soft smile. "None of us are really so bad as people make us out to be. I mean...Famine for instance. She may cause people to starve, but where would America be without some of the immigrants who came over to escape her doing? And the famine doesn’t just refer to food, either. It can mean absolutely anything. If it weren’t for my dear sister, there would be many more preists and nuns who had broken their vows. She not only controls what they physically lack, she controls what they internally wish to have. Then there’s always War. She tends to be the one people think the worst of, but she really isn’t so bad. It’s not like she just runs around and randomly causes disputes between countries or anything...well...most of the time anyway. If it weren’t for her, no one would have spirit enough to lead the world. She controls aggression, spirit, motivation, confidence...loyalty. If it weren’t for her, the world would have been gone a long time ago because no one would have done anything to make sure they survived. You wouldn’t have been born in the first place, let alone be so willing to stand by Kevin after everything. Last, but most definitely not least, is Death, of course. Some people these days actual realize that she isn’t so bad after all. She controls both life and death. By her hand, princes are born and kings are killed. Death is the ultimate healing."

Ty stared up at Pestilence for a moment, taking in everything she had just said, then he smiled back at her. The girl sighed, her own expression brightening, and took her seat at the computer once more. Once again, appearances were meaningless. This little girl had more strength inside her than anyone Ty had ever met before. She could strike him down with no more than a thought, and could elivate him with the same. Just like himself, and his beloved, what people saw her as, before or after knowing who she was, may have absolutely nothing to do with the truth. In that, they had more than the world in common, and suddenly Ty felt as if his family had grown.