Belladonna and Crystal went back to their pad to rest up for the night. They both curled up next to each other on the couch. Crystal watched Belladonna snuggle the cushions to get as comfortable as she could. Crystal couldn't help but see an incredible amount of innocence in the yellow whippet. She couldn't accept the fact that she had been dealt such an unfair and unjust punishment. She knew she deserved better, even if Belladonna were to deny it.
What saddened her the most however was how helpless she felt. She felt as though nothing she could do could help her new friend. After laying down in thought, she finally had an idea. She wasn't certain this would work, but she had to try. Crystal got up off the couch after Belladonna appeared to fall asleep. She walked over to the balcony on the second floor of the building. She looked up at the night sky, which thankfully wasn't cloudy this time. She could see the moon and the stars, lighting up the city around her.
She looked up and closed her eyes, beginning to speak. "Annabelle, I don't know if you can hear this, but.. this is very important. I know you have done a lot for me, and it would be incredibly selfish for me to ask any more of you, but.. your cousin needs you. She just wants a chance to speak with you and try to make amends. I know you probably won't believe a word she says, but at least try to spend some time with her. Try to see the good in her. I know there is goodness in her heart, even if it's hard to see it. Please.. give her a chance."
Crystal waited there for what felt like hours. Sadly, there was no response. She dipped her head and sighed, going back into the house to lie down and rest. She needed a lot of sleep if they were going to do more acts of kindness tomorrow.
Today was sunny, and the streets were bustling with lots of city folk as usual. Belladonna and Crystal were looking around for ways to help others. Just then, a desperate looking poodle ran up to them both. She looked worried and helpless.
"P-Please! Help me find my child!" The poodle pleaded.
Belladonna and Crystal looked at the poodle in shock. "Tell us, where and when was the last place you saw it?" Asked Crystal.
"Down that alleyway. I was just walking out of it with my child, and when I looked back, he was gone! I searched everywhere! Please help me!"
This was their opportunity to really help someone in need. Belladonna's face lit up, but then she got serious, remembering that she was doing this not just for herself, but for this poor poodle mother in need.
"We'll be on the look out for her, don't you worry! Just wait right here!" Belladonna reassured, placing her paw on the poodle's shoulder.
Both Belladonna and Crystal ran into the alleyway. They looked everywhere they could, but could find no discernible clues. Just then, whilst Crystal was walking around a few crates and a garbage bin, the wind began to stop. Everything around her appeared to freeze, as though time had been stopped. She looked around herself confused, wondering what had just happened.
"Belladonna? Hello?" She called out for her friend. "Hey, where are you?"
She looked around to find that the yellow whippet had disappeared. She felt a tap on her shoulder from behind, and jumped from being startled. She turned around and saw Annabelle peering down from her, a stern look on her face. Crystal was trying to speak, but her sudden appearance had left her speechless.
"Do not worry. I have stopped time so that we can communicate without any interference," The pink whipped reassured. "I received your message last night."
"Y-You did?" Crystal stammered, showing a look of shock and awe.
"Yes. But I'm afraid I cannot help your.. 'friend' Belladonna, for she is beyond help."
"B-But you have to.."
"No, I don't," Annabelle interrupted, frowning a little. "I don't think you understand just how many 'chances' I had given that.. thing. Sure, she may 'act' remorseful and innocent, but deep down, she is nothing but pure evil. She deserves eternal torment."
"How do you know? After all the good she had done recently, how can you say that she's pure evil?"
"She's only doing that to avoid Red's punishment. This was all a mistake made by one of the other archangels. Belladonna shouldn't even be here!"
"But what if you are wrong? What if she really has changed?"
"Guess what, it doesn't matter if she changes or not. She had her chance in life to be a good person, and even in Hell she was given a chance. I've run out of chances to give. Even if she really has changed, which I strongly doubt, she would still make a good example for those who do not wish to burn in Hell. She can be proud of that at least."
"That.. that's so cruel.. How can you be so cruel?! I thought you were good! How can you.."
"No, how can you?! I gave you a second chance, and this is how you treat me?"
"Don't change the subject! This isn't about me, this is about Belladonna! I've seen the good in her, even if you refuse to..." Crystal paused for a second. "Oh. I get it now." Crystal made a smug look.
"What.. what are you on about?"
"You regret putting her on that black list.. don't you?"
"W-What are you talking about? I would never wish any goodwill for that disgusting, waste of.."
"You cannot accept that she is a better person now, because that would make you the bad guy for putting her on that list."
Annabelle's eye began to twitch. She made what appeared to be a manic grin. She began to laugh loudly, almost crazily. It was unnerving to say the least, seeing this pink, angelic whippet turn into a crazed hate-filled lunatic. Crystal backed away a bit, cringing from the strange sight.
Annabelle stopped laughing, took a deep breath, and looked down at Crystal with a patronizing smile. "Okay, look. You want to see if there is any good in her? Give her this."
Crystal saw a bright light appear in front of her. In it's place was a bright golden dog tag. The dog tag flew into Crystal's paws. She grasped it, looking down at it's intricate patterns and bright luster.
"W-What is it?" Crystal asked.
"It's a miracle dog tag. It will perform one miracle for the holder, but only if they are pure of heart." Annabelle spoke softly. "You can have her use it during her 'missions' here on earth. I can guarantee you that no matter how much she tries to be a good person and repent for her misdeeds, it will never work for her as long as she lives."
Crystal looked back up at Annabelle with a frown on her face. "Alright. Then I guess this will settle it then. If the dog tag works, she's clean of her sins. But even if she doesn't get it to work, she would still be a good enough person for.."
"No. Just being a little bit good doesn't get you into heaven," Annabelle corrected. "She has to be good enough to get the dog tag to work. But that will never happen."
"We'll see!"
"My work here is done. I sincerely hope that you be good enough for heaven. Your previous bad deeds in your last life still carry on to this one, so you'd better make up for it before it's too late." Annabelle warned.
"Don't worry about me. I'm already on it."
"Very well. Good day to you."
And with that, Annabelle disappeared. Time appeared to go back to normal, and the sudden gust of wind startled the collie. Just then, she remembered to start looking for Belladonna. She looked to find her scouring a trash bin. She peered out to see the collie standing right in front of her.
"Oh hey, you find anything?" Belladonna asked.
"More or less.." Crystal spoke.
She showed Belladonna the miracle dog tag. Belladonna's jaw dropped. "Where in the world did you get that?"
"I'll explain everything." Crystal reassured.
After a lengthy explanation, Belladonna was both overjoyed and a bit depressed. She was happy that her cousin finally acknowledged her existence, but not quite pleased by her lack of forgiveness and unwillingness to talk to her. She found a dog collar in one of the trash bins, and used it to equip the miracle dog tag. She wasn't sure if it would ever work, but just having something from her only cousin would give her the resolve to keep fighting.
They continued to look around, until Belladonna finally spotted some footprints. They appeared to lead to a hole in a brick wall hidden behind a plastic bag.
"Hey Crystal, look at this!" Belladonna called out.
"Hmm? Oh my!" Crystal tilted her head at the sight as she smiled. "Nice going Bella!"
"Heh, don't mention it."
They both crawled through the hole in search for the missing poodle. They found themselves walking through what seemed like the area in between the floor and ceiling of two of the rooms of the building. They walked through cobwebs, trying to pick up the scent of the footprints, albeit loosing track of it thanks to the dust and mold. Eventually after a few minutes of wandering around in the dark, they could both hear the floor crack beneath them. Within seconds, the floor split into pieces under their weight, and they both fell down into what looked like a rocky tunnel.
They both slid down through the tunnels, yelling from the frightening ride. Eventually they reached the end of the tunnel slide and found themselves at the edge of some sort of sewage system.
"Ugh, that smell." Crystal's nose scrunched up.
"Yeah, obviously a sewage system. Maybe the poodle is down here somewhere." Said Belladonna.
As they walked further down the sewage system, they began to hear some laughing coming from far ahead. They walked closer towards the laughing to see some light coming from above a sewage grate on the ceiling. Belladonna was the first to climb up a metal ladder mounted on the wall to open the grate just enough to see inside the room.
"Well, what do you see?" Crystal asked.
"Shh. Be quiet. I can't hear. "Belladonna whispered.
"Sorry." Crystal sheepishly grinned.
The room appeared to have some strange coagulation of junk and metal for the walls. It looked like an underground bunker of sorts. She could see about 20 bulldogs sitting around in a circle, some of them lying on cushions or sitting on stools. They looked like the same bulldogs that attacked Crystal before. They all laughed and conversed with one another. But what really caught Belladonna's eye, were the black metal cages at the end of the room behind the bulldogs. She couldn't see inside of them as it was too dark. The only light was coming from a lantern held by one of the bulldogs. She listened carefully as they spoke.
"We are totally gonna make a mint this time boss!" One of the underlings cheered.
"Yeah yeah, for sure. It's just a matter of time until the trader gets here." The boss replied.
"What's taking them so long?" One of them pouted.
"Patience my friend. They'll get here soon enough." The boss reassured. He then walked over to the metal cages, and held his lantern up to them. "And all these little pups will make us a fortune! Hehehe!"
Belladonna gasped, as she saw many puppies trapped in the cages. Seeing as there were about 40 of them, with about 2 or 3 of them shoved in a cage, she couldn't imagine how these bulldogs could kidnap so many of them. It was obvious that this was a puppy trafficking ring. This time it seemed like she had her work cut out for her. There were too many of them, and there was no way she and Crystal alone could look out for and manage all those puppies and have them properly rescued.
Belladonna proceeded to close the grate and walk down the ladder to tell Crystal all about the situation, but her paw slipped and the grate shut closed with a loud 'clang'.
"Oh shit." Belladonna whispered.
"What was that?!" Called one of the bulldogs from behind the grate.
"Shit! Run!" Belladonna called out to Crystal.
Belladonna scrambled down the ladder and they both ran for it.
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