Second Chance


Chapter 11

The Ruler's Origin


"I'm... Jesse."

Jesse woke with a start. It had been three days since May Belle returned, and already he was calming in that regard. But the nightmares had resurfaced – ones of a girl with short blond hair falling into the creek, her face contorted in accusation. And he knew who the girl was – Leslie.

"What does this mean?" Jesse asked the darkness, rolling under the covers.

He didn't wake up again until morning.


The Ruler paced in the endless expanse of white he ruled, frowning. What did it mean? Why did he feel like Jesse? Was he Jesse?

He snarled angrily, wanting something – anything – to hit. Preferably something that could feel pain. But Death was endless, and he could find nothing. There was nothing there; nothing but the empty void, himself, and memories of the life he once had.


"Hey, Jess, what's wrong?" Leslie asked, concerned. They had been taking a break from rebuilding the bridge, just talking, but Jesse had zoned out, not even reacting to Leslie's words, and she had been telling a story. Jesse loved to listen to Leslie's stories; he remembered spending hours trying to figure out how to paint the ghost of Hamlet's father (he was still trying to make it perfect, three years later). For him not to listen to her stories, Leslie knew, something had to be wrong.

"Nothing," Jesse lied. "Just a bad dream, I guess."

"Jess, you're lying."

She always knows when I lie, he thought, somewhat ruefully.

"It's more than that, but it still is just my imagination."

"Then we need to take care of it, my King. You cannot be marooned from the kingdom in this time of -"

"Leslie, this is more serious than Terabithia; than anything in our lives – in your life."

"What do you mean?"

"It's too hard to explain. I've made a very powerful enemy, and I'm afraid. I'm afraid he'll take Mom, Dad, May Belle... I'm afraid he'll take you."

Leslie laughed nervously, stopped, and looked at him, apprehensive. "You're serious, right?"

Jesse nodded. "Things are going to get really bad soon, Leslie. I can feel it."

"Then we'll face it together, Jess. As friends and as the Rulers of Terabithia."

Jesse smiled. "Thanks."

The air in front of then rippled black, revealing the Ruler. He glared menacingly at Jesse and Leslie, his sword drawn. Suddenly, before either Jesse or Leslie could react, he was behind the girl, his sword held to her neck.

"Jesse!" she exclaimed.

"What do you want?" Jesse demanded, angry.

"I want a chat with you in Death, Jesse Aarons. She is my guarantee that you will do as I demand."

"Let her go; she has nothing to do with any of this. She has nothing to do with you!"

"On the contrary. She has everything to do with me."

"What do you mean?"

"Come with me, and I'll tell you."

Jesse was about to open his mouth – to argue – but decided against it, merely nodding. "Very well."

The three vanished, leaving nothing but an empty space where they stood before.


The three appeared in the Ruler's Palace. Leslie hung there, bound to the wall.

"Let her go!" Jesse yelled.

"Relax," the Ruler said. "I have no further intention of harming you. In fact, I want to make peace – on my terms, of course."

"And why would we agree to that?" Leslie demanded.

"Because, if not, I will return you to Terabithia."

"Why is that bad?" asked Jesse.

"Look and you will see," the Ruler replied, snapping his fingers. A hole in the wall grew to the size of a small television set and lit up, revealing an army of assorted evil creatures. In the distance stood a tree castle – Terabithia. "If you refuse my treaty, I will consider myself at war with Terabithia, and this army will descend on the forest. You will die, and so will the rest of your family."

"Very well. What are your terms?"

"That you take over as the Ruler of Death."

Jesse's jaw dropped. "Why?"

"Because I'm tired of this... And who better to replace me than me?"

Jesse raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I'm you, Jesse. Or rather, I'm what you would've become had you failed my test. I failed the previous Ruler's test – an alternate version of Dad – and was sent here as punishment."

"I don't understand."

"Do you know why Leslie is alive?"

"The test."

"Yes, the test! Everything, this whole universe, is a giant test, and you can pass or fail. I failed."

"But, if you failed, why did I succeed?"

"Because. I accepted the situation; you didn't. Everyone who took the test either failed or backed out. You succeeded. You're an anomaly, and the Elders ordered me to kill you. But there is a way for you to survive. If the Ruler of Death had your powers, the Construct would be absolute, and you'd be able to live until your term is up."

"And what about you?"

The Ruler chuckled. "I will die. But that hardly matters. I will be reborn, in another Jesse, to start the cycle again."

"Did I do the cycle before?"

The Ruler nodded.

"Then perhaps that's why I succeeded – because I failed before."

"It's definitely a theory. I hope, for my sake, that I get a chance to try it out."

"Will I still live on Earth?"

"As long as you perform your duties in dreams, you will – unless the Elders call an emergency."

"Very well."

And with that, the Ruler vanished, while Jesse changed forever.


A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I've been busy, as I just started college. Hopefully this chapter, however short, made up for it. Anyway, there are a few chapters left, but, if demand is high enough, I will make a sequel that's focused more on Jess and Leslie than on Death.