A Visit from the Other Side
"Picture a tall, dark figure, surrounded by cornfields...
NO, YOU CAN'T RIDE A CAT. WHO EVER HEARD OF THE DEATH OF RATS RIDING A CAT? THE DEATH OF RATS WOULD RIDE SOME KIND OF DOG.
…Picture more fields, a great horizon-spanning network of fields, rolling in gentle waves...
DON'T ASK ME I DON'T KNOW. SOME KIND OF TERRIER, MAYBE.
…fields of corn, alive, whispering in the breeze...
RIGHT, AND THE DEATH OF FLEAS CAN RIDE IT TOO. THAT WAY YOU KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE.
…awaiting the clockwork of the seasons.
METAPHORICALLY."
It was the worst day of Ruka's life.
He may have been a spoiled rich kid, but he'd had some pretty bad days in his life. The day Imai had discovered her blackmailing passion, the Alice Festival play and subsequent disasters. Every day he watched, imprisoned, as Natsume left again and again of the missions he refused to describe, the ones he was forced into for Ruka himself and Aoi still on the outside. They all hurt in their own ways, but this…he gently pulled the blanket over his rabbit.
It hadn't helped that Imai had started picking on him particularly early that day, or the fight that had escalated when he tried- for once- to snap back and get her to back off but Umi had worsened that morning, and he really didn't know what else he could do. His Alice pheromones were useless at this sort of thing. Then Natsume had snipped at Imai- he really was more perceptive than people thought- and of course Mikan had sided with her friend. He hated seeing her distressed and that had been the final spark in that explosion. And now he felt awful, and Umi…
Umi was gone.
He stifled a sob as he felt the tears prickle in his eyes. Great. Just great. Now he was going to cry and heaven knew how many cameras Imai had hidden around the barn. He was so doomed. First the crabbiness, the explosive rage, and now the crying; he was practically PMSing. The tears started prickling harder.
Suddenly there was someone, moving silently over his shoulder, and he'd bet this entire allowance (all the way until the day they finally got out of this hellhole) that it was Imai. No one else could fill an entire room with that silent chill.
Later he would reflect on the fact that he found himself actually prefering Imai's company. Amazing how certain things can put your life into a whole new perspective.
SQUEAK
Ruka heard a skittering of nails from behind him. A rat. Ruka may have had animal pheromones, but he definitely had his preferences. He would take a rabbit like Umi over a rat any day.
Then the rat came into view.
It was of normal size for a rat- possibly a little on the smaller side- but it was missing some very vital parts. Mainly skin, fur, and anything to hold those impossibly floating bones together.
Ruka gulped. And was that…?
The little cloaked figure- a fact that only registered with Ruka after a few moments (he was more concerned with the MOVING SKELETON part of the equation)- stopped next to the body of the rabbit and hefted its tiny scythe.
Ruka broke out of his paralysis as the figure began to swing downwards. "No, wait! You can't-!" He froze again at the new voice that came from behind him. What human wouldn't?
IT'S NOT A RAT.
The little figure turned around and began squeaking angrily in return.
Ruka was torn between an intense desire to be the cat that looked or the cat that survived. His eye started twitching.
I KNOW WE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF BRANCHING OUT, BUT I WAS THINKING MORE TOWARDS OTHER SPECIES THAN OTHER DIMENSIONS.
SQUEAK.
NO I THINK THAT RABBITS ARE PERFECTLY REASONABLE. BUT ARE YOU REALLY SURE YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THAT COMMUTE ON A REGULAR BASIS?
SQUEAK. SQUEAK SQUEAK.
WELL, NO. STRICTLY SPEAKING IT'S NOT AGAINST REGULATIONS. MOST PEOPLE AREN'T ACTIVLY SEARCHING FOR MORE WORK.
SQUEAK.
WELL RATS HARDLY HAVE RELIGION OR WAR. THEY'RE NICE AND PREDICTABLE AS TO WHEN THEY'LL DIE.
SQUEAK.
TRUE. I SUPPOSE YOU HAVE EPIDEMICS. THOUGH CATS WOULD COUNT MORE AS A WAR THAT AN EPIDEMIC.
SQUEAK.
NO, I DON'T THINK INFESTATION IS THE WORD EITHER.
At that point, Ruka felt the overwhelming urge to intervene. Later he would wonder why he did (and why his sense of self-preservation didn't do a better job of suppressing such a ill-recommended impulse) but for now he had completely lost control of his mouth.
"Umi's mine!" was the first thing out of his mouth. Followed closely by, "And who the hell are you two anyway?" He lunged upwards furiously. "If that is you Imai, this is sick. Just sick."
The two figures looked at each other for a moment then turned back to him. Ruka froze. Literally. The same force that had let his mouth run wild suddenly paralyzed every muscle in his body, including his heart.
I'M AFRAID I DON'T KNOW AN "IMAI". the larger figure apologized. AND I'M ALSO AFRAID THAT THE RABBIT IS NO LONGER UNDER YOUR JURISDICTION. WAS IT A FRIEND? The hood tilted to the side, giving the impression that the skull inside was cocked at a questioning angle. Ruka couldn't bring himself to look at the face inside. Assuming, of course, there was one.
"Yes!" he shouted at them in frustration. "Yeah, he was." he trailed off sadly. Was. What an awful word, was. Umi was his friend. The Academy was their enemy. Freedom was nice. Their town was beautiful. Their families….their families were wonderful.
Ruka felt the tears welling yet again.
RABBITS DO NOT LIVE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. the figure said curiously. WERE YOU NOT EXPECTING THIS TO HAPPEN EVENTUALLY?
Ruka half-heartedly scowled at him. "I know. But he held on for so long that I hoped- "
He bent down and picked up Umi, cradling his friend in his hands. "Hope really sucks, you know?"
I HAVE INDEED HEARD THAT BEFORE. Death agreed. BUT IT IS SUPPOSEDLY NICE WHILE IT LASTS.
SQUEAK.
NO, I BELIEVE ITS LOVE. IT IS BETTER TO HAVE LOVED AND LOST THAN TO HAVE NEVER LOVED AT ALL. "IT IS BETTER TO HAVE HOPED AND LOST" SOUNDS LIKE A BOOKIE'S MOTTO.
The little figure nodded in agreement.
SQUEAK.
NO, I WOULD NOT BE INTERESTED IN A BET WITH YOU. I KNOW RINCEWIND NEVER DOES WHAT HE'S SUPPOSED TO BUT IT IS WRONG FOR DEATH TO BET ON DEATH EVEN IF WE DON'T LOOK AT THE HOURGLASS.
SQUEAK.
YES, I DO THINK IT IS AGAINST REGULATION. AND AFTER THIS, SO PROBABLY WILL INTERDIMENSIONAL HOPPING.
SQUEAK.
WELL, NOT HOPPING, BUT REAPING. I UNDERSTAND YOU SCURRY. HOP IS COLLOQUIAL PHRASE. YOU ARE WELCOME TO MOVE HOWEVER YOU WISH.
SQUEAK.
NO, IT'S NOT THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOU RIDING ANYTHING, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT A CAT IS NECESSARILY THE BEST CHOICE. I HARDLY RIDE AROUND ON MY MORTAL ENEMY.
SQUEAK. SQUEAK, SQUEAK.
ACTUALLY, HE'S NOT DEAD EITHER. SUSAN THOUGHT HIM INTO BEING. SHE WAS TIRED OF HAVING TO PICK HORSE BONES UP OFF THE FLOOR. FRANKLY, SO WAS I.
SQUEAK.
SIZING IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT IS QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE TO RIDE SOMETHING OVERLY LARGE.
SQUEAK.
Suddenly the figures turned back to Ruka. He gulped. It is an uncomfortable sensation to be greeted by Death under any circumstance. But to be confronted by not one, but two deaths (no matter how small one of the deaths in question may be) while one is still living and trying- unsuccessfully- to mourn a lost friend around their goodhearted bickering- unsettling is hardly the word.
Unfortunately for Ruka, there was little he could do.
The smaller figure skittered over to Ruka. Planting the scythe on the ground, it tipped its head back, up towards Ruka.
It eyed Ruka for a while (or at least something in his general upwards direction).
Then it grabbed its scythe, imperiously tapped Ruka on the foot with it even though it went right through his foot, not being part of the material plane.
Ruka abruptly lost feeling in his foot.
"Hey!"
DO NOT WORRY. the larger figure said. YOU ARE BOTH LIVING AND HUMAN. NOT TO MENTION A FAIR BIT BIGGER THAN WHAT HE IS ACCUSTOMED TO REAPING.
By now the numbing effect had faded to a fierce tingling. The little figure had raised its scythe again impatiently and Ruka kneeled before he lost feeling in the other foot as well.
The little figure clambered up into his hands and Ruka couldn't help but twitch at the faint tingles marking each footstep.
The scythe swept up and down.
Ruka closed his eyes. He couldn't watch. Regrettably, curiosity (the damned cat was going to use up all its lives today- and he only had one!) had him opening one eye cautiously mere seconds later. A ghostly image of Umi was sitting next to the body, grooming itself like nothing was out of the ordinary.
SQUEAK.
YES, I SUPPOSE HE WILL DO. I CAN'T GUARUNTEE HOW LONG HE WILL LAST THOUGH. AT LEAST HE'S A GOOD SIZE. Ruka gasped as the little figure grasped Umi by the ears and pulled itself onto the rabbit's back.
THOUGH I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE UP TO THE DIMENSION HOP.
SQUEAK
NO, NO PUN INTENDED. SHALL WE GO?
And just like that, Ruka was left gaping at air in the empty barn.