Hello everyone.
I blame Bluelighthouse and Fox in the hen house for this story. Those two amazing writers kept bugging me about writing this idea down so here it is.
NOTE: Trisha belongs to Bluelighthouse. Period.
There is a song to be played as soundtrack for the scene after the line "Nobody noticed him." It's "O' Death" by Jen Titus.
Everything has an end.
Whether it's organic or not, whether it's alive or not, whether it's an object or a being, whether it's sentient or not...
Everything meets its end.
From the mightiest leaders to chronically ill weaklings. From the tallest trees to the tiniest blades of grass. From the toughest materials, to the most fragile substances.
Everything ends.
Year 1348 A.D.
Even the weather seemed to have voted in favor of her downfall. The dark grey curtain that covered the sky was pouring heavy rain on those below it, her included. Now, struck down from the air, the brown doe landed heavily on the ground, though the mud absorbed some of the impact. She shook her head to get rid of the ringing effect this hit left her with. The second later she began rising to her feet. She knew that she was screwed, but still didn't intend on dying on her knees.
Especially not in front of those mammals.
Still, she had a few moments before they would reach her again, so she had a bit of time to do a brief self check-up. Her dress was now covered in brown muck and pretty much in tatters, showing parts of her brown furred body, including the curve of her round hips. Not that she minded, as in a different setting it could be quite the dashing choice of attire for a fun evening. She also earned a gash to her left arm and it was bleeding quite profusely so she had to-
"Tis the end, half-breed." Announced a stern voice from the sky above her. The way it emphasized the term, at the end wasn't lost on her, though she refused to show it.
The doe raised her head to notice a bright figure descending slowly towards her. It did so with the help of the wide, white feathered wings on its back that mashed the air. A glowing aura surrounded it, like it had its inner radiance.
"I beg to differ, Sunshine." She showed him a smirk, hoping to mask her anxiety from this arrival. "I still haven't had dinner. You can't miss a good dinner."
"Speaking of meal," another voice joined in, "I'm gonna eat ya, girlie!" It came from the opposite direction than the mammal with white wings.
The bunny didn't panic, but slowly turned her head around to see a mammal who could be called a direct opposite of the one that arrived first. The adjectives that came to mind at his sight were blood and fire. And this one had black wings, not made of feathers, but leathery tissue.
The doe let out an internal groan, her day was getting worse by the minute. "Wow, not just angels, but demons as well? I must more popular than I thought!" She chuckled at the end, though she took a few steps back, trying to keep both mammals in her sight.
The angel on her left reached for the sword by its side and unsheathed the blade. The moment it was pointed at the doe on the ground, the sword emanated a fiery, turquoise aura.
"Thy existence is an aberration and will be purged." Just as the heavenly being declared this, more angels came down from the sky to join the upcoming execution.
To make matters even worse, the ground around the demon on her right burst with fire and multiple claws and arms came out of the burning ground to climb up to the surface. More demons.
"Fer once in all eternity I can agree with ya, goody-goody puppet." Snarled the first demon in the group, lashing out his black tongue.
Now trapped between two groups, the brown bunny considered her chances of survival in a one to infinity ratio, though a smile never left her lips. If you have to go down, the least you can do is to go down with style. The doe raised her eyes to the grey clouds, letting the rain pour down on her face. From the side it could look like a last prayer, but she was perfectly aware that she has no one to pray to. Her pursuers used this time to move forward. With an internal sigh, she slowly reached to her pocket with the uninjured arm, ready to perform her last-
Splash.
The doe froze, her black tipped ears twitching in the heavy rain. One of them turned to listen to the area behind her.
Splash.
Even among the loud hum of the falling raindrops, there was a different sound. She couldn't help shooting a quick glance over her shoulder.
Splash.
She didn't imagine it, someone was coming and their feet were the source of this sound as they were marching through the watery muck. The angels and demons alike stopped their advance as well, apparently noticing this new presence.
She narrowed her dual colored eyes to make out whoever was coming for her this time. Angels, demons... Who else was out to get her?
Then she felt an uncomfortable chill permeating her fur and skin, creeping into her body, which was abnormal, as she was naturally resistant to cold. What kind of magic could have caused-
Splash.
A slim figure appeared in the downpour, its size suggesting a mammal smaller than a wolf, but still bigger than her. It took several more steps toward the gathered beings, its frame becoming more recognizable with each one. And as it was getting closer the cold was gradually intensifying, to the point where Trisha started to have an urge to rub her shoulders.
The newcomer stopped just a meter shy from the doe and stared down at her with the most undecipherable gaze she has ever experienced in her life.
Though it wasn't the look in his eye that told her the identity of this mammal. The cold… The attire in the color of pure darkness… She swallowed nervously, unable to pry her own gaze from him.
"Err… Hi?" She mumbled, following the words with a nervous giggle. And even though her own body wanted to tremble from the very presence of this mammal, she wouldn't be herself if she would leave it just at that.
The doe offered her paw and a smile. "The name's Trisha, but you probably already know that."
The newcomer didn't move, nor did he accept the offered paw.
"You…" The angel leading the group spoke behind the doe and she shot a brief look in that direction. "Are you here to collect?"
Trisha moved her eyes back to the mammal before her and noticed that his gaze didn't move an inch. He also didn't bother with replying.
"Hah! You have no business here till we're done with her!" The demon who spoke earlier to Trisha also addressed the figure next to the bunny.
Again, the one standing in front of her didn't even spare the demon a glance.
The doe could never stand awkward silence so now her inner fluffy imp kicked in and her face brightened with a smile. She leaned forward a bit and gave the mammal's face a more inquisitive stare. Then her eyes narrowed and her smile stretched into a grin. "Say, you're far more handsome than I thought you'd be!"
This finally seemed to have some effect and the mammal moved his arm and reached for the doe's face with his brown furred fingers. The doe didn't move from her spot and the next thing she knew, a single digit touched the middle of her forehead. Upon this contact Trisha felt a wave of pure dread surging through her body, as if every part of her wanted to run away in panic. Still, whatever this feeling did to her, she couldn't find it any worse than what her pursuers would want to do with her. Therefore she stood her ground and kept her eyes firmly on the male before her.
Seeing this, the mammal covered in darkness tilted his head a bit to the side. "Interesting." He stated in a low voice that, contradictory to the word used, sounded rather indifferent. He pulled back his paw.
Trisha didn't let this chance go to waste. "Oh, you bet I am." She somehow managed a smirk.
"Enough of this nonsense!" The angel leading the heavenly group interjected while landing on the muddy ground. "Do not meddle with things that are none of your concern!" He raised his flaming sword and took a step forward.
On the other side, the demons also moved closer. "Hsss! We do what we came here for and only then you can do as you please." The head demon grit his fangs and his long mane turned into a living fire while his crimson eyes blazed.
Seeing this, Trisha decided to clutch at the only straw she had, no matter how insane it seemed. After all, the Hell wouldn't have her and the Heaven despised her, she had nothing to lose. The doe closed the remaining distance and reached out to wrap her healthy arm around the waist of the mammal in front of her. "Oh woe is me!" She exclaimed in an over dramatic manner, hoping that she didn't sound too cheesy. "They are here to get me and I still haven't eaten my dinner! Please, oh please, would you be so kind and let me go this time?" She fluttered her eyebrows at the male in her grasp.
The angel with the sword sighed as he approached. "This insolence… It is truly our duty to rid the world of-"
He paused when the drop in the temperature suddenly intensified, making the heavenly being stop and turn his shocked gaze at the mammal next to the doe. Then, one after another, the gathered mammals started flinching, when the chill reached also them.
Trisha shot a glance over her shoulder and saw all her pursuers took a step back, then another. While she didn't want to speak too soon, but so far it seemed that her suicide plan was working.
"You can't!" The leading angel protested in a strong voice, glaring at the Trisha-wrapped mammal.
The head demon joined in. "Hss! There are rules!" He sneered.
Their voices made the mammal covered in darkness turn his head towards the sky. "'Have no business'." He stated with the same voice as before. As he said this, the flame aura surrounding the angelic blade flickered and died out. Its owner stared at his weapon wide eyed. "'Do not meddle'" The mammal seemingly addressed the clouds above them. Shortly after, the fiery mane of the head demon started to fade into its normal state, much to its demonic owner's shock. With such a turn of events, both angels and demons started unanimously backing away. "Rules and regulations… Who goes up, who goes down and why…" He felt silent for a few moments before turning his gaze down to stare at Trisha with a pair of piercing, emerald orbs. "If that is so… Where should she go?"
Present day
„Look at you, sweetie pie!" The elderly doe whispered with a merry smile on her face.
She was leaning over a wooden crib that had rabbit ears carved on one end, a popular design in Bunny Burrow. Her daughter, Bonnie, asked her to look after her little girl, who was now three months old. Bertha Hopps kept smiling down at the tiny grey doe sleeping peacefully under a warm blanket. She adored her granddaughter and could spend a whole day just looking at the adorable girl. The tiny doe was the eldest of Bonnie's first litter and that made her a bit special among her brothers and sisters. Bunnies had dozens if not hundreds of children during their lifetime, but there was only one 'first child'.
The rest of the litter was sleeping in a separate room, but this little one was always the most energetic and tended to stay up longer than her siblings. Therefore, after the child had finally started showing signs of sleepiness, Bertha had laid her down in one of the cribs in the playing room. Being a mother of her own share of children and knowing her way around them, the elderly doe managed to convince the kid's parents to go out for a walk and enjoy a moment of peace together. She was well aware how important it was to not forget about marriage and partnership in the whirlwind of duties as parents.
The baby shuffled her paw a bit in her sleep, pushing the blanket off herself. The elderly doe chuckled quietly and reached out to grab the material and cover her back again.
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced her chest and she felt that she's running short on breath. With one paw still holding the edge of the blanket, she grasped her chest with the other one. Sudden dizziness made her stumble backwards, dropping the material straight on the child's face. Bertha kept fighting for breath as she made a few more wobbly steps through the room. The doe eventually dropped on the nearby couch, bouncing from the edge of it and slumping to the carpet covered floor. She desperately fought for even a tiniest intake of air, feeling the painful tightness in her chest while the room was spinning before her eyes.
This lasted for a few moments before another bunny called her name from the corridor and a second later entered the room. His eyes shot wide open upon the sight of his mother-in-law sprawled over the floor, not showing any signs of life anymore. He screamed her name and rushed forward to her side.
More bunnies poured in, alarmed by the scream and a great commotion began. When most of the bunnies scrambled to the elderly doe's side, someone called for an ambulance and Stuart, after checking Bertha's pulse and not finding any, started CPR, trying to bring back the elder doe's heartbeat.
In all the hubbub, nobody noticed that the temperature in the room dropped a bit.
Nobody noticed him.
Time itself slow down and speed of all motion gradually declined. Sounds were dying down, drowned in the silent aura that enveloped the entire room. A new figure appeared in the room's doorframe and his eyes locked on the lying doe. He was a mammal with pointed ears, claws and mostly red fur. His brown furred hindpaw took a step forward and the figure started its calm walk towards the object of its interest. None of the gathered rabbits took notice of a mammal that moved among them. The newcomer didn't rush, only took normal, casual steps of someone who has all the time in the world. A half-burned cigarette hung loosely from the side of his mouth.
One of the bunnies slowly spun around and headed for the door, tears in her eyes. On her way there, moving with the speed of an iceberg, her clothes very briefly brushed with the sleeve of the jacket in the color of a starless night. After that the doe managed only three more steps before her eyes started growing wide and facial features formed a shocked expression. She started dropping to her knees in a slow motion. Her arms moved very slowly to clasp around her body and a strong shiver shook her entire frame. Her teeth started chattering uncontrollably while she frantically rubbed her shoulders in a sloth's pace, both terrified and shocked by what has happened to her.
The smoking mammal reached his goal and stared down at the motionless doe on the ground. A male rabbit in dungarees had his paws on her chest, performing a heart massage. Nearby, one of the gathered does was holding another one in her arms, as the female cried into the fabric of her shirt.
The paw covered in brown fur rose up to the mammal's face as he inhaled deeply until there was only a scorching end of the cigarette left. He took it between his fingers and hanged his paw loosely down his side. He then let go, allowing the cigarette butt to drop and as soon as it lost its contact with his fingers, it got caught in the distorted time space, drifting slowly down to the ground. The mammal crouched before the laying doe and steered his gaze to the side, to look at the watch on his wrist. In the meantime, the last embers of warmth died out in the remains of the cigarette and all that remained was a thin trail of smoke that travelled upwards.
The dark dressed figure reached forward with two fingers of his right paw, his gaze not leaving the watch. It was a strange one, no numbers or marks on the dark dial and only one, silver hand that moved in a fluid motion. It was very close to the top of the dial, where usually midnight or noon should be. When said hand reached that point, the black dressed mammal plunged both fingers into the lifeless doe's chest. They went through the clothes and skin as if it was mere mist and shortly after he pulled them out.
A small, glittering spark was resting on the tip of his fingers.
The mammal narrowed his eyes slightly and tilted his head a bit to the side, subjecting the spark to a keen gaze. After several seconds of silent observation, the mammal stood up in one, fluid motion and lifted the spark to his lips. He blew on it, sending the faint light into the air. It spiraled across the room for a bit before gaining altitude and eventually reaching the ceiling. The light passed through the wood without any problems and disappeared. The dark dressed figure followed it with his gaze before turning around and heading back to the door.
Halfway there he stopped.
His head turned slowly towards the crib, forgotten by the adults in the commotion. He approached it with his casual pace and looked down on a infant slowly suffocating with a blanket. He raised his brow in a way which possibly meant surprise, but with the expression on his face it was difficult to tell definitely. The mammal shot a glance at his watch and he stared at it for a few more moments. It was followed by a click of his tongue. With his brows now knitted over his eyes, the mammal reached down to the tiny baby. He used one finger to shuffle the material to the side, making the tiny girl gasp for air with her little lungs. As soon as she got the so much needed portion of oxygen, the baby opened her mouth wide, no doubt to cry as loud as possible.
Then, one of her small paws brushed the finger held right over her head. The miniature doe's eyes slowly opened to meet a sight of a claw directly above her. In her innate curiosity, the girl reached out again and grabbed the claw with both of her tiny paws. The mammal dressed in black raised his brows at this unfamiliar reaction. The doe squeezed once or twice and her lips stretched a bit to form a smile. The claw's owner did not move and the girl held it for a while longer. Then she moved her gaze and met a gleaming pair of emerald eyes. Though it surely was impossible, as an infant of this age had a limited field of vision, she seemed to hold his gaze for a moment. He narrowed his eyes and looked at his watch again.
A minute later the mammal was gone. So was the chill and the life of the elderly doe on the floor of the room. When it became evident that there was nothing in his power to avert this outcome, the buck slumped back and stared wordlessly at his late mother-in-law. Several bunnies gathered around her body and cried for the loss of their relative, the loudest wail belonging to her daughter, Bonnie.
Then one more cry joined the choir of grief. A one with different tune than the rest. One that made Bonnie's ears perk up and she instantly sprung to her legs. No mother could ever ignore a cry of her child. She hurried to the side of the crib to see her crying daughter, laying with the blanket pulled to the side.
"Shh, shh, mommy's here, sweetie," she picked up the little, grey doe and cradled her to her chest while swallowing tears. Wet traces marked her facial fur. "It's okay, it's okay…" she kept talking to her daughter till the tiny doe calmed down and looked at her mother with a pair of brilliant, amethyst eyes.