Wow…er…yeesh…ya ok I know I know it has been like, an insane amount of time since my last update but just you know here me out…don't kill me, hehehe… K, so like I've been seriously busy writing an entry for this Fine Arts festival thingee my church is participating in and I was racing a deadline so ya, I'm pretty excited about it though, I think it came out alright away oh! And I will be posting the entry I sent onto my profile so that you guys can at least have a little extra something for the long wait, it'll be the one titled "Whispers in the Rain" Ya I didn't come up with title but I like it. So ya, originally I was going to split this update into two chapters but I figured that after the longer wait you guys deserved an extra long one so here you go! :D
(Flashback…yeah)
She hurt. More than usual and she was awake…. At this realization the distraught kitten immediately curled up into a tight ball and covered up her pointed ears with her dreadfully battered hands to try and block out the inevitable screams she knew would reach her ears any second now. She lay there trembling, hands over head, and waited…waited, until she began to experience a most familiar and unexpected sensation. Soft even strokes passed gently over her head it was comforting…much like Ruby used to do. But she knew it couldn't be Ruby, no. Ruby was hurt, Ruby was broken and most of all Ruby was screaming. She had seen it, heard it…it scared her. More than anything. She wondered if things would ever be the same, if her and her big sister would ever be ok again. She kept waiting but the screams never came so cautiously, Penny slit open one of her eyes ever so discreetly and saw…Ruby? And she was ok…hurt but still, not screaming, not...dying.
"R-Ruby?" Penny breathed disbelievingly.
"Hey there swee—" The teenaged rabbit was cut off abruptly as Penny— crying hysterically, from relief or terror she could not tell— launched herself at her in the biggest—and most painful—hug she had ever received.
"RUBY! Oh Ruby, oh Ruby, Ruby…" She muttered between sobs, "Please don't go back, please…please Ruby I'm scared! He won't stop, why won't he stop?! I'm scared Ruby please…"
"Shhhhh sh, I'm sorry sweetie I'm so, so sorry. I didn't know, shhhhhh sh sh don't cry don't cry. Everything's going to be alright I promise, I'm so sorry…" Ruby managed to choke out while she tried to hold back the serious pain she was experiencing in her mid-section as Penny tightened her arms around her already fractured ribs until she could no longer. "GA-AH!" She let out pained yelp while trying to gently peel away Penny's surprisingly strong arms. At this her younger sister jumped back hastily, a now familiar terror back in her blurry eyes as she watched her older sister double over in pain and clutch her middle which seemed to have turned a strange purplish color. She took quick shallow breaths and leaned into the wall for support while trying to compose herself. She hated this; it was disgusting, Penny having to see her like this. "Tell me, how do you plan on protecting her from yourself?" The Mad Doctor's words still rang fresh in her ears, she had to get it together she couldn't break down, not yet. She was going to get Penny out of here if it was the last thing she did, which it probably would. "I-I'm fine Pen really just a little uh…s-sore th-that's all." Ruby unconvincingly reassured as she slid down the wall back into a sitting position wincing slightly from the pain. Penny curled back up next to her while Ruby took to stroking her hair again until the silence was broken once more.
"Ruby?" The anxious kitten whispered nervously.
"Yes?" The older of the two looked down to face her sister and saw her with the upmost look of sincere terror in her eyes ask:
"Are…are you going to die?"
Ruby stopped, every bone in her body went rigid for the briefest second as the shocking reality of what Penny had asked hit her. She struggled to keep her composure as she replied, "N-No Penny not ever, no never ever ever. I'll always be here I p-promise." Penny had buried her face in Ruby's shoulder which had become quite damp at this as the teenaged rabbit wrapped an arm around her securely. Then as her sobs finally died down she murmured something so soft Ruby almost didn't catch it and looking back sincerely wished she hadn't.
"Am…am I g-going to die?" Something inside Ruby broke. She couldn't explain what exactly but it hurt more than anything ever had before. She honestly felt like she would have preferred the Mad Doctor break every bone in her body to this. It was as if someone had thrust a stake straight through where her heart would have been leaving her bloodless unfeeling vampire. She had failed. She had let Penny get hurt, left her little sister scared and alone. She could hardly stand, to weak from the stupid radiation. She could barely take care of herself how could she have ever hoped to protect little Penny? Yes, she was most defiantly a failure; to late it was now to undo the damage that she futilely tried to shield the fragile kitten from. But, the teenaged rabbit supposed at least now she was finally going to get her out of here before…. A shiver ran down her spine as she pushed the thought from her mind and took one last shaky breath to compose herself.
"Penny…" She breathed, "P-Penny look at me," The two pairs of eyes met and Ruby saw with a heavy heart, the once bright and innocent eyes of her younger sister now tainted with trauma and terror. She could see the fear laced in the kitten's once bright and vibrant blue irises, in the tremor of her lip. Now it seemed the only light in her downcast eyes came from the shining tears waiting at their brim. All just another reminder of her failure as a guardian. It crushed her to see her little sister like this, so… vulnerable and scared. Ruby could feel it all crashing down again, the pain, the sadness, defeat and failure, a tsunami of drowning emotions threatening to swallow her whole…but, emotions were a luxury she could not afford… not now. Ruby took another breath and tried to look sure of herself. "Penny listen," She scooped her index finger up under the kitten's chin so that it rested under it securely, "I…I'm sorry you've had to stay here so long… I-I know wh-what you s-saw back there in lab and…I know you're scared a-and…and… I'm s-sorry you had t-to see, I…I d-didn't…" She was cracking again, she could feel it. "Got to keep it together…" Ruby told herself, "C'mon just a little longer, just a little please, for…for Penny…" She was done with running and hiding like a stupid kid, this man had hurt her little sister… and she was going to make him pay. She looked her little sister squarely in the eye and, without a hint of cowardice in her voice whispered: "I am never going to let that man lay a hand on you and, I will get you out of here if it is the last thing I do… understand?" At this—much to the surprise of her older sister—Penny quickly pushed up from the floor with angry tears in her eyes so that she reached her full height—which wasn't much— and cried out exasperatedly,
"B-but, but that's just the POINT, I d-don't want it to be th-the last thing that you-you do. I-I want you to be ok too and…and well, I…I WON'T GO UNLESS YOU'RE COMING TOO!" Penny shouted, stomping her foot and crossing her arms over her chest to try and look tough… before falling to the ground and succumbing back to tears once more.
"Penny…" Ruby said softly. She tried to get up to comfort her but the movement was almost to much to bear so she motioned the distraught kitten over and tried her best to consul her little sister from where she sat. "I told you," She said firmly "I'm not going to die…neither of us is"
"You know that's not what I meant." Penny retorted with a startling seriousness.
"Penny…Penny look I'm sorry but… it's my job to protect you and well, I haven't really been doing that very well lately." She said quietly.
"But…but that's just it!" Penny managed between sobs, "If all you ever do is t-take of-of me then who's g-gonna take c-care of you?"
"Aw c-c'mon Pen you know me, I can take care of myself just—
"BUT YOU CAN'T!" Penny screamed in another outburst as a fresh onslaught of tears cascaded down her smeared cheeks. "You say you can handle it, you say you'll be alright and that we'll both make it out but…but…"
"Penny I—
"No! If you c-can take care of yourself so g-good then-then why do you…w-why do you let him h-hurt—
"PENNY!" Ruby yelled bringing the frustrated kitten back to reality, "Will you just listen to me for a second?!" Penny nodded slowly a bit startled and sat back down. "Ok look, I know I may not be the biggest or the strongest… I'm not invincible, sometimes I mess up and well… this is one of those times. This…this is all my fault, I got us into this mess, I… should have been more careful… but I promise no matter what you've seen or what we've been through, I'll always…always be right here with you, and no matter what it takes I swear to Disney I'm going to—
"Get me out of here?" Penny finished for her sadly "What…what happens to you?"
"Oh will you quit worrying?" Ruby tried to reassure while she ruffled the fur atop her sister's head playfully. "I've gotta plan ok? Everything's going to work out just fine."
Penny looked back up at her solemnly but, Ruby though she saw a glimmer of hope shining those uncertain eyes… "You…you promise?"
Ruby smiled, "I promise." Penny jumped up to hug her big sister—although much gentler this time—and in no time the two were caught up safely in each other's arms. After a tearful comfort and assurance Penny asked while wiping way the tears in her eyes,
"S-so when are leaving?" just then the two jolted upright as the rusted knob to their cell turned and the door opened with an unforgiving screech to reveal the mangled form of a beetworx.
"Now."
She felt Penny shiver against her and held her sister tighter as the two were taken roughly down the hall with the lab she knew to be their inevitable destination. "Just a little further…" she told herself. Thank Walt Disney her hunch about the Mad Doctor wanting to see them both this time was right. She'd figured that since he had already told her about Penny watching there would be no reason to keep it a secret anymore, so why not give her a front row seat? Now it was her turn to shiver as they rounded another corner. "Come on girl keep it together, just a little longer…we're almost there…" Since their arrival Ruby had been doing her best to map out their prison so, that in an event like this when they desperately needed a way out—and fast—she would at least have something to work with. She was fairly certain of the location of the elevator leading to the scam "shop" in the Station. She had often seen beetleworx coming from a corridor off to the side of their usual route to the lab with tools, supplies and such, she assumed could only be acquired by scavenging topside. It wasn't exactly solid she knew but, what choice did she have? She had to do something. Ruby snapped back to reality, her mind registering that they had just made their way pass the fourth turn; the corridor should be just up ahead…. And just like that it was in her sights. Ruby let her chains fall so that they hung limply at her wrists and ever so discreetly twisted them around one of the beetleworx's legs. "Wait for it…" She could feel her muscles tense; the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the suspense was killing her as her muscles ever so impatiently awaited orders. Ruby's breath caught in her throat, her knuckles turned white from holding the chain, she pushed Penny back then— "NOW!" Ruby yanked on the chains sending the Beetleworx crashing to the ground with what seemed like an unnecessarily loud clang as it became entangled in a strand of binding chains it had somehow managed to cut loose and its own iron appendages while Ruby held Penny behind her to shield her sister from the contraption's flailing blades. Quickly, she gathered up the remains of the chains that were still attached to them so as to not have them drag across the floor and make quite a conspicuous racket and scooped up little Penny while she headed for the corridor. Down she ran at a feverish pace as the rather alarming sounds of well, alarms could be heard howling behind her, which she assumed had been set off by the beetleworx. She could feel the panic rising in blood, mixing dangerously with the fatigue picking away at her sore muscles; she couldn't keep this up for much longer. Time was running out. Finally, Ruby let a breath she didn't she had been holding as they came across a rickety freight elevator. She punched the button with her fist and the rusted metal doors slid open with an ear-piercing screech. "Well if the alarms didn't give us away I'm pretty sure they know where we are now." Ruby glanced over her shoulder and saw already several beetlworx in pursuit, and uncomfortably close at that. "This way…" She instructed pushing Penny inside what seemed to be no better than a rather hot and stuffy constricting metal coffin. Just as the doors forced themselves close Ruby caught an angered voice through the fleeting crack, or rather, a mad voice.
"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON THE PAIR OF YOU I'M GOING TO BEAT YOU SO HARD YOU'LL BE DROWNING IN YOUR OWN BLOOD!" She covered Penny's ears protectively as the doors sealed shut and pressed the "up" button. The elevator crawled precariously up rickety shaft; Ruby held her sister close and tried to tame the rage of disgusted emotions attempting to ravage her mind as Penny clung to her leg, crying hysterically and trembling from head to foot in pure terror.
"Ruby I'm scared," She mumbled incoherently between sobs "We're never going to make it out of here, never ever ever…I'm scared Ruby, I'm scared, so, so scared, what's he gonna do to us?! I…I d-don't wanna die…"
"Penny listen to me I told you no one's g-going to die." She wrapped her arms around her little sister securely, "I won't let him hurt you."
"Yeah but, but what about y-you?" The young kitten sniffled, fresh tears gleaming in her eyes.
Ruby wiped the tears from her sister's eyes, "Hey, thought I told you to quit worrying about me."
"I know but…but—
"C'mon now sis give me some credit, what's some lame dude in a weird man-dress thingee got on me?" Ruby ruffled the kitten's fur playfully and attempted to flex her muscles which hurt much more than she had anticipated although, she tried to hide it. Penny, although noticing her sister's discomfort, managed a broken half-smile.
"It does look kind of like a dress huh?" She giggled tentatively.
"I'll say!" Ruby tried to laugh too but it only hurt broken ribs more.
"Wait uh, Ruby... how're we gonna get out of here with these chips still…" Penny stopped mid-sentence, she had had her finger aimed at where the chip should have been and now saw it directed at a rather large gash… "I-Is it…?"
"Yeah Pen it's…it's gone…" Ruby sincerely hoped she wouldn't be pushed into details and thankfully, Penny didn't ask so— "Wait…" Ruby thought to herself "The Doc never used the chip her so how did she…oh, wait…Of course…" She realized the taunting reality hitting her hard, "She must have seen him use it on me about a thousand times, and heard him remind me time and time again of the power it holds over my head…literally…" She saw Penny's eyes wander over her sister's forearm which appeared strangely unscathed… Ruby watched guiltily as her sister put two and two together when suddenly a dull thud resounded throughout the compartment signaling their arrival at their destination as the doors creaked open although Penny seemed to hardly notice at all. After what seemed like an eternity she raised her downcast eyes to meet her older sister's, horror drowning out her sweet face.
"Y-you…" she stuttered disbelievingly "You promised…" Ruby had her shuffling out of the elevator, dazed.
"I…I know Pen, I know it's just…I'm sorry I just couldn't stand the thought of you staying here another minute, and…and well, I had to come up with something to get us out and, this…well this something was the only way, I'm sorry…" the elevator doors closed behind them.
"B-but this isn't the only way and you know it! You could find a way to get the chip out of your arm too, oh please Ruby I don't want to lose you…" Hiccupping sobs echoed off the iron walls, loud shouts and pounding could be heard from below.
"I'm s-sorry Penny…y-you don't understand…" Ruby noticed several more doors spaced along the walls, she edged Penny towards the exit.
"No I do understand, you're scared about what that bad doctor man said!" Ruby could hear the noise getting louder, "But, but you're my big sister! And I know that you'd never hurt me, no matter what!"
"Penny…" She grabbed her sister's hand and took another step towards the door; they were right in front of it now. "I'm sorry but," Ruby had her hand on the knob "I can't take that chance." She thrust open the door and pushed her sister through. "I love you sweetie…"
"NO!" Penny screamed slamming the door into the railing as she threw it back open. "I told you I'm NOT leaving without you!"
"Penny I…I'm sorry i-it's too late for me…" She pushed her farther out.
"No it's not there has to be something! We have to be together you promised!" Penny begged desperately.
"I'm s-sorry sweetie, so sorry I…I lied." Now it was Ruby's turn to cry as she could hold back no longer now having betrayed the only person in the world who mattered to her. She tried to hold off as best she could but there no stopping the stream of tears leaking from her eyes although, she did managed to buffer it down to a slight drizzle as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her good hand and screwed her eyes shut to try and regain her composure. Just when she thought she'd gotten the last of the tears she felt a hand slip into hers and heard the soft voice of her baby sister,
"I forgive you."
"Wh-what?" Ruby looked down at Penny, astonished. "What did you say?"
"I said I forgive you." She replied a sad smile painted delicately onto her face. "I know you did it to protect me because you're my sister and you love me, you're just doing your job…that's how I know you could never hurt me." Penny squeezed her sister's hand whispered, "I'm going to get help and I'm going to get you out of here if it's the last thing I do…I promise"
"P-Pen I…" She didn't know what to say so…she just smiled back. Penny turned to go but came to face her sister one last time.
"Oh and, I love you too." She reached up and kissed her sister lightly on the cheek then broke away and scurried off into the night. Ruby watched in silence as her sister disappeared into the shadows, a small spark of hope igniting itself in her heart. Her moment of solitude however was brief as in seconds an army of beetleworx and the Mad Doctor himself burst in, furious. Although she hardly seemed fazed as she shut the door and turned to face her captors.
"YOU!" He roared a bit less than coherently, "You stupid, stupid girl…" He stormed over to where she stood, unwavering. "Did you really think you could escape that easily?!" He slapped her harshly across the face. "YOU THREE!" He shouted gesturing to the group of beetleworx nearest to him, "AFTER THE GIRL!" He turned his attention back to his current captive although she hardly seemed to be paying attention. "They'll bring her back in no time, and, when they do I'm going to make your precious Penny wish she was never BORN! He spat, "I'm going to make her hate you…and I'm going to make you watch." For the first time since they'd caught her Ruby looked up to face the Mad Doctor, she saw the beetlworx now almost directly under the archway and managed a small smile.
"Not today." She whispered and threw Penny's chip over the line. Immediately there was huge explosion, she threw her arms up to shield herself from the flying metal scraps of beetlworx desperately trying to pierce her skin and the sudden burst of intense heat singeing the fur on her body. The force of the eruption threw her back against the wall,—she was almost certain she had a concussion now although, it was hard to tell in this daze…—She fell back on her hands and knees as the rebound hit her and coughed from the smoke now filling the room, arching her back in agony. Through all the commotion she thought she could make out a pair of black boots making their way towards her.
"YOU IDIOT! YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER…AUGH!" He bellowed, outraged. She thought felt a pair of hands slide into a deathly grip around her throat and, herself being lifted from the ground and slammed back into the wall, hard."You will pay for what you have done." His grip tightened. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, it all hurt so much….She could feel her throat being strangled painfully, she was sure of it now. Ruby reached up what was left of her cut and bloodied hands to try and pry away his fingers; strange black spots seemed to be invading the corners of her vision now. Finally, on the verge of unconsciousness he alleviated his grip and threw her to the cold stone floor coughing and sputtering. She gasped and took in great mouthfuls of smoke and ash along with much needed oxygen. She was shaking as she tried to regain her breath, slowly, in and out, in…and—she gasped painfully as the Mad Doctor's boot practically shattered her lungs. She collapsed on floor, stunned, her lungs screaming desperately for air that wouldn't come in fast enough. She just barley registered him leaning down and whispering in her ear, "So, you want to be the hero huh? Sacrifice yourself to save your little sister from the big bad boogeyman, just like in the big Disney movies right? Well, let me let you in on a little secret…" He leaned in closer, "this, is Wasteland, and you know what we do to heroes here?" She shook her head trembling, barley even coherent. The evil scientist made his way over to the other side of her and stated matter-of-factly, "You know, it's going to be kind of hard to be reunited happily ever after," He reached down, "…and get back to your sister if," Ruby let out an agonized scream as she felt her right leg snap cleanly at the knee. "…you can't walk." Another ear-piercing shriek ripped painfully through her lips as the same fate fell upon her left leg. "You're not going anywhere."
"G-AAAAH!" She withered in pain which only aggravated her injuries further, not that she cared anymore, nothing mattered now really, she was never going to get out of here… She managed to remain conscious a bit longer as the doctor left her with on last thing,
"You know, back in the elevator…I wasn't kidding." He smiled, "I'm going to see to it personally that you never see the light of day again." He spat almost gleefully. Ruby curled up and cried… she was scared…so, so scared…She had one last fleeting thought before slipping from consciousness.
"I'm sorry Penny but, you're going to have to hurry…I don't know how much longer I can last…" then the world went black as she caught what she assumed would be the last glimpse of daylight she was ever going to see for a long time through a crack in the door.
Whoa. This has to be my longest chapter yet! And possibly most disturbing…sorry guys it's probably not going to get much better for awhile, hehehe… O.O so ya, I'm thinking upcoming chapters are just going to be an arrangement of quick one-shots describing what's going on with Ruby and the Doc in correspondence to what's happening with Oswald and the gang. Well hoped you like it! Next update should be much sooner, please remember to review :) I really appreciate it especially since Epic Mickey isn't the most popular fic topic thingee so not a lot of people are on here. Please please PLEASE leave me a couple of comments to keep my motivated! You guys rock! XD