This contains different pairings from my normal writing style, but after reading some stories with these pairings, I found myself wanting to write some myself. I only hope I am as good as the other writers who have done this pairing. Please enjoy and review.

MANN GEGEN MANN (MAN AGAINST MAN)

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

Sah ein Mädchen ein Röslein stehen
Blühte dort in lichten Höhen
Sprach sie ihren Liebsten an
ob er es ihr steigen kann

(A girl saw a little rose
It bloomed there in bright heights
She asked her sweetheart
if he could fetch it for her)

-Rosenrot by Rammstein

PROLOGUE: ALL THE PRETTY FACES

Die schönen Mädchen sind nicht schön
Die warmen Hände sind so kalt
Alle Uhren bleiben stehen
Lachen ist nicht mehr gesund und bald

(The pretty girls are not pretty
The warm hands are so cold
All clocks have stopped
It's no longer healthy to laugh, and soon)

-Wo Bist Du by Rammstein

Flaky twiddled her thumbs nervously as she sat on her couch. She checked the clock for the tenth time in the past few minutes. It was still a minute to midnight. She had to go to sleep just as the sun was setting so that the dark could not scare her. But when she woke up in the middle of the night… nothing protected her from her fears. Sure, she could remind herself that it was only her mind, but that never helped. Everything was real. Anything was possible. The only law of nature that made this true was that she thought everything was real and anything was possible. Simple, but a terrifying fact.

She suddenly got a knock at the door. At a minute to… no midnight… Her stomach tightened until cramps were rippling up her sides. She gripped her paws tightly together. Who could be here? A psycho killer? A psycho rapist? A psycho killer rapist? The last one seemed most possible. She felt tears rolling down her face. She didn't want to die. She really didn't. But that small reasonable voice in the back of her head said; What if it's one of your friends? What if they need your help? Are you going to be a baby like always?

This made her cry harder and she stood up. This was the only thing that drove her to stand and go and answer the door, but not before grabbing up a shovel that she doubted she could even defend herself with. Her shaky hand took the door knob, and she turned it and the door swung open. A loud screaming wail erupted from the figures before her, both had green, pimply faces with yellow blood shot eyes, and crooked, jagged teeth. Before she even had a moment to think, she was screaming loudly. Her eyes were bulging and going in and out of focus. She raised the shovel even as she heard the two figures laughing.

In her panic, she brought the shovel down on the figure to the left. The sharp metal edge sliced through the green face and struck something hard. The figure screamed as blood began streaming from the slice in its face. She let lose only one high pitched note and tore the shovel out.

"Hey! Hey stop it Flaky!" The other said. It knew her name!

She slapped its arm with the blunt side shovel. The thing yelped, grabbing its arm. The other was screaming its head off, grabbing its split open head. She let out another scream and brought the shovel back into the cavern. There was a loud squishing, cracking sound and the thing tore away from the shovel, blood spewing from its head as it ran around in five circles before collapsing, its purple tail flapping up in the air. She stood staring at the carnage, breathing heavily. Blood and chunks of brains and flesh were littered about the ground and the shovel's sharp edge.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the other screamed, tearing its face off and there was a yellow rabbit.

Flaky screamed and swung the shovel at the thing again. This strike missed and she had time to recognize the long yellow ears, the small red circles on the cheeks, and the bunny slippers.

"C-Cuddles?" Flaky asked, slowly and shakily.

"You killed Toothy!" Cuddles shouted, examining the body on the ground. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"I didn't… I…" Flaky stammered as Cuddles yelled at her.

Tears were rolling from her eyes as he looked back up at her and she covered her face, wailing as she retreated back into her house. Cuddles' ears dropped. He had suddenly come back to grips with life, and now realized he had gone too far. He debated weather him trying to comfort her would do any good or just scare her even further.

An hour or so later, Cuddles found himself sitting in Flaky's bed, the porcupine wrapped around his waist, asleep. The slap she had given him with the shovel had only left a bruise, and she seemed alright now. He patted her shoulders, not sure what else to do. If she woke up, he was probably going to get his butt kicked. She had run into here and flopped down on the bed. He had caught up with her and was giving her a hug but she drug him down on the bed and now she had fallen asleep, saying he was a great friend and that she forgave him.

Though he felt better about himself than he had when he had pulled the mean prank, he was hard. He didn't want to be and felt dirty. He felt that it was a sin to be sexual aroused by Flaky, now of all times. But he had read that in times of danger and stress, the body reverted to this emotion of lust, as though it were a life affirming thing. Yes, he felt stressed but… she had forgiven him. His mind should be cleared. Right? He wasn't sure what he felt. Did he think he needed to suffer more? Seeing Flaky cry hurt like hell inside, something he had never experienced. Even when Giggles cried, he didn't feel pain inside. Yes it made him sad that she was hurting, but no pain came into him.

He shivered as he remembered Flaky's violent, terrified rage. How wide her eyes had gotten. How scared she was… how scared that made him. And he remembered looking at Toothy's body. Blood… so sickening in its glory. Coursing through his own veins, he felt the need to tear it out and spill every last drop. Some kind of vile, pumping, monster running through his veins… keeping him alive… alive for what?

Cuddles woke up suddenly, sweating. A dream. A dream… no… Too real, he felt Flaky's quills against his side. He raised his paw slowly, staring in stupified horror at the red liquid, spilling from his paw. How many times had this been spilled from him alone? Regeneration everyday, made the pain subside but the mess never went away. He gripped his forehead. His head was throbbing. He pulled himself out of the sweaty sheets… sweaty, no… not from sex but fear. He looked back at Flaky. She was smiling in her sleep. He stumbled into the bathroom, looking at himself. He felt panic rising for no reason.

A yellow rabbit stood staring back at him. Who is this creature? It's me… So why don't I recognize myself? God, get a hold of yourself! Focus! You're just a little bothered by seeing Toothy die. It's always this way. That seemed logical enough. He found the burden lifted from his body, and suddenly, he couldn't remember what the rabbit that had been standing there looked like. Only the one that was here now.

"That's me…" He whispered, reaching out and touching the glass.

He suddenly felt very happy inside, something he had not felt since the prank. He smiled at himself. He had panicked a minute ago for no reason. Toothy would be back tomorrow and they could play again… and Flaky was alright. She might even want to come play with him. Some stunt that would probably end up getting them both hurt… but they'd laugh. For some reason, it seemed they always did. As his paw retracted from the glass, he saw a red smear on the clean surface. The smear was covering his reflection's left eye. Somehow, he didn't feel so alone, staring at himself.

He wet his paw in the sink and wiped the red smear from existence. It might as well have never been there. He smiled again. He felt rather giddy inside, and was laughing at the silliness before. His imagination roamed at times. He looked at the place where the cut had been. Nothing but a small ravine in his fur. He smoothed it out, and then, there was no evidence it had ever been there. He went back into the bedroom, turning out the bathroom light as he marched over to Flaky. She was still smiling. He kissed her forehead and then turned.

"Goodnight Flaky." He murmured.

As the rabbit left the house, he suddenly realized he was no longer aroused. He smiled a little. That's better. He thought to himself. He felt somehow, two feet above the ground as he walked. He decided to see Flaky again tomorrow, and ask her about the small golden statue he remembered seeing on her bedside table.

I dunno, please tell me what you think. I'm not sure if the plot is any good, so I'd like to hear your opinions. A little Easter egg among the text, see if you know what this line is referencing: "He had suddenly come back to grips with life, and now realized he had gone too far."

Hint: The real version of the phrase goes: "I've come to grips with life, and realize this is going to far."

Hint Two: it's from a song.