CM:4 Unkind Fates
#4 of Chronicling Memew: Old
A black gray spotted leopard stood in front of a window overlooking the Fertile fields. He looked like he was in his early twenties, but looks are often deceitful. His gaze held the wisdom of one that has lived quite some time. Turning that gaze upwards to the sky panels built into the dome overhead he let out a breath of air and turned from the window.
Walking past his desk as he pressed a button that made the transparent glass darken into an opaque surface of jet black. He turned to face that surface as he sat in his opulent desk chair. Flicking a switch on the side of his desk before swinging out a keyboard and contact pad. "Oh where, oh where are you hiding," he said to no one as he brought up the latest network reports and equipment reports. A couple taps on the contact pad started up his program that marked the location of each onto a map of the continent.
He held back a yawn as he somewhat disinterestedly examined the map as it was developing. The network lines filling out beyond the city to indicate the strength of what was still intact. His attention seemed to perk as the network lines faded around a recent spike in equipment failures in the area around a particular waste colony. He made several motions on the contact pad and zoomed in on the area. Then swinging the controls out from in front of him.
Standing up he walked up to the glass and got a better look. Watching it for a moment before he flatly said, "Send the fourteenth dispatch into the colony to cleanse it. Order them to capture any magical entities they discover. Everything else may be cleansed at their discretion. The leopard turned to a six foot wolf that stood silent and near motionless beside the door. With a slight nod that wolf left the room to fulfill the command. Once he was gone the leopard tapped the glass with a claw and sneered as he commented, "I hope I've found it this time..."
Memew rested on Coco's now flat belly. She hasn't slept much over the last week. Each time she did she would dream of death and pain, but they always ended the same way. That one strange figure pointing some... some THING at Coco's face and then a beam of light burns a hole through that bunny's head. Memew cringed at the memory. Sniffling as she raised a hand and rubbed tears from her tired face. She didn't want to dream of such things. She'd rather see another birth then dream of death and pain.
Even worse was that those dreams were becoming more and more detailed. She sobbed and gripped her ears as a scene of bodies covering the nursery floor flashed through her head. Her claws digging in as she visibly trembled, and drawing some blood as she tried to forget those awful things.
The cat jerked as something gently touched her side. She sighed as Dukane gave her a look that she had connected to concern. Sitting up she told him, "I... I don't want to sleep, Kane..." Dukane made a rolling grumbling sound as he stepped up to Memew and pressed his cheek to hers. Memew smiled a little and hugged him close. She had noticed that the big rat had been putting in quite a bit of effort to comfort her.
He's noticed that she wasn't sleeping too much and she had heard from the others that he was worried about her. It had even come up that he was concerned that they had hurt her when he seeded her. Though she was rather emphatic in telling him that that wasn't the problem. Then she had told him of her dream.
That first night after the dream that stoked her fears. Dukane had her sleep with him. It hadn't helped when she had dreamed of those figures storming the nursery and their sticks shooting those beams of light that burned holes in anyone that light touched.
Memew hugged Dukane's neck more strongly as she said, "I'm scared Kane... I don't want to see my new home being hurt anymore... but... I'm getting so tired..." The large rat made a deep scratchy noise before he gently pulled away. Memew drifted off of Coco's belly as she released Dukane a moment after he began pulling away. He then motioned to the entrance tunnel with his head.
The fey cat didn't hesitate in floating at his side as he started to head off to the tunnel. A few sounds from him had the guard rat standing down and allowing her to leave the chamber for her second time. Whether Dukane had grown to trust her, or he had confidence that her current distress would keep her out of trouble she didn't know. What she did know was that she wasn't going to cause trouble on purpose anymore... at least not for the sake of causing trouble.
She really liked Dukane. After her first nightmare after having been comforted by Coco, Cindy and the others. Dukane had a little talk with her. Coco translating it for her as Dukane had explained to her that her stunts had ended up putting the colony in a difficult spot. He said that good healthy food was very hard to get and they had to attack places where the two legs lived in order to get anything that wouldn't make Coco, Cindy or the other non rats in the colony sick. Memew looked to Dukane and floated over his back before landing on him. Riding on him as he took her wherever he was taking her.
The cat fell asleep along the way. She didn't know when she fell asleep or how long she slept but the dream she had was the most upsetting one yet.
Sef lounged in the overlook. It was a recreational space that looked out over the stations hydroponics facility. The station was quite large for just four people. He pondered that for a little bit before looking to his paws. Curling his toes a bit before he thought of Memew.
How was she? What was she coping with the hand... was she even aware that she carried it? Sef grumbled as he shifted in the chair and placed a hand over his face. He needed to get back to his mother. She knew more about the hand. He was male so he could never have been the wielder of the hand, but still now that Memew had it. Being the responsible one he needed to learn more about it. He didn't know much about it other then it had tremendous power. Power and balance was most of what he had been told about it. What kind of balance he did not know.
Sighing, Sef pushed himself up and floated out of the chair. He looked around the overlook for a bit before heading over to a small stack of books. Landing beside them he tapped them with a paw before reaching down and taking the top one. Looking it over with curiousness. Opening the book he flipped through several pages before stopping on one that had an anatomic chart of an anthro rabbit. He curiously hopped down onto the floor and placed the book on the floor. Lying down as he examined the picture.
The words meant nothing to him, but the picture he could glean something from. What he guessed was that it was a picture of what someone might look like on the inside. It was just a guess since he couldn't understand these letters or whatever Candy had called them. They were just shapes to him.
He returned his attention to the image for a while longer before losing interest in it. He'd probably read the book if it were written in runes instead of these strange symbols. Sighing he closed the book and stood up before he picked up that book and set it back on the stack he had gotten it from. Looking around the sizable space he decided to go to the small tiled area that had the machine that gave drinks. It had another machine that had a bunch of pictures of rather strange looking foods.
This machine was quite a bit more difficult to figure out since he couldn't find any levers on it anywhere. Though lacking anything in particular to do he decided to try figuring it out again. Nibbling at his bottom lip as he backed up a bit and looked over the entire machine. He dropped down to the floor and stepped back up to the machine. Lowering his eyes to the machine's dispensing slot and looked around the inside of the machine. There wasn't anything he could see that helped him figure out how to get something from it.
Sef frowned as he furrowed his brow and stuck an arm into the slot. Feeling around for a moment before a voice startled him, "What are you doing?" His hand almost caught on something and he rubbed it with his opposite hand as he looked to Candy. She had a brow raised as she looked at him. He glanced to the machine and nervously stated, "I... I was trying to figure out how it worked..."
The pink blotched feline giggled as she said, "I'll show you how it works then." She stepped up to the machine and asked, "Anything you'd like to try in particular?" Sef blinked a little before looking at the pictures on the machine. Floating up to it as he looked over the things trying to decide on one.
Candy smiled as she pulled a card out of a pocket in her lab coat. Watching the small feline creature look over those images. She was finding it hard to believe that his kind wanted to destroy this world. After all he didn't seem to know anything about it, but he just might not be one of important standing. She suppressed a giggle as he licked on image and then appeared frustrated when they all seemed to taste the same. "You won't be able to taste them like that, Sef."
Sef glanced to Candy for a moment before he let out a huff. Just pointing to a round thing that seemed to be a white substance between two dark brown flat things. His ears perked up a bit as Candy stated, "Good choice." Watching curiously as she inserted the card into a slot on the machine and then tapped the machines touch pad a couple times. The machine then hummed for a moment before dinging it gently dispensed the treat.
Looking at the dispensing slot a bit uncertainly before he glanced up to Candy. She gave him a nod as she said, "Go on. You can take it." Sef then reached into the slot so carefully it appeared as though he was expecting it to bite him. Though as soon as he touched the small box that contained the treat he grabbed hold of it. Pulling it out of that slot and then looking at it quite curiously. There were little pictures of some kind of white bottle and cow head in various places around the box.
He marveled at how it was cold on his finger pads. Though once his amazement that it was cold passed he glanced to Candy and asked, "How do I eat this?" The cat laughed and said, "Hold on." She then reached down and tore off the flaps at one end of the small box. Stepping back as she let Sef figure out what to do next. Watching as he tipped the box and let the treat fall out. It was in a plastic pouch and Sef was about to take a bite before he noticed it looked different then the picture.
Examining it for a bit before finding the flap and opening the pouch and then taking the treat out. Gasping a little as it started to break in two he dropped the pouch and held that treat with both hands. Sniffing it a bit hesitantly as its chill seeped into his fingers.
His ears perked up as the scent that was quite foreign to him sparked his interest a bit. While he had never smelled anything quite like it, it did smell good. That scent did urge him to taste the strange chilled treat. So he licked the white middle part and his eyes widened as his ears pointed straight up. He took a large bite out of it as he let out a long hum.
Candy chuckled a bit as she said, "I thought you'd like it." She stepped over to the drink dispenser and got her usual drink before heading over to the seats. Sitting down as she watched Sef eating the ice cream sandwich. Letting him get about halfway through it before she encouraged him to come by her. He was a bit hesitant for a second or so before he hopped up and drifted over to her.
Guiding him into her lap Candy took a breath and stated, "You know when we first brought you here. Marnam and Ell wanted to sell you to the convoy the next time they came around." The small feline's ears dipped as he looked to her a bit concerned at the prospect of being sold. She shook her head a bit and added, "I talked them out of it and took responsibility for you." Gently running her fingers along the base of one of his ears while she said, "Now for what I originally wanted to say. I was expecting you to be quite a bit more troublesome."
Sef licked away some of the softening stuff in the middle of his treat. Then looking to Candy and confusedly asking, "What do you mean?" She continued to stroke his head for a moment before she explained, "Well... the reports on Fey creatures point towards you all being violent, disruptive, mischievous, and or cruel." The feline fey in her lap lowered his ears as he looked to his hands and murmured, "I don't know anyone that is cruel or violent but... I know a few that can be mischievous and my sister can be a bit disruptive." He then looked Candy in the face as his right hand moved up to lightly scratch at the base of the on the same side.
Candy rubbed his head a bit before she said, "It's alright. I'm quite sure I can trust you since you haven't misbehaved yet." She then stretched out a bit and yawned before she added, "Well, I guess it's about time for us to head to bed. I was half expecting you to have fallen asleep before I got back." Holding onto Sef as she stood up and giggled a little at how he helped her by levitating. He was weightless in her arms and she kissed the back of his head as she headed off to her quarters for the night.
Memew found herself on the ground and sat up as she glanced around. The details on the cave walls seemed to slowly drift around independently as she glanced around. She was alone as she looked around and noticed an object on the ground. Drifting over to it she picked up the rectangular rod. It had some markings to it and a strange translucency. She examined it for a few moments before she heard a scream.
Dropping the strange object Memew rushed towards the scream without a thought and within moments she found herself in the nursery. There were a large number of masked and armored bipeds clashing with a majority of the adult rats in the colony. The smaller ones were moving in mass through the center of the cavern while the larger ones moved in along the sides.
Those soldiers with the strange weapons were obviously torn between which were of more concern. Their hesitation giving the colony a bit of an edge as a rat tackled one of those soldiers before the strange weapons began to fire. Burning energy scorching through pelts as jaws tore flesh flesh and rent armor. Memew trembled as she watched the two sides clash again and again. The bodies piling up as the smell of burnt fur, burnt flesh and blood filled the nursery.
She hopped into the are and visibly shook as she looked around. Sweat dripped from her soaked fur as she gasped and took in the tunnel surrounding her. Dukane looked to her with concern as Memew put her hands to her face. Wiping both sweat and tears from her face as she let out a shaky sob. She could still smell it. Her clawed fingertips pressed into the edge of her muzzle as her sobs turned into a hacking cough.
Dukane sat up on his haunches to grab hold of Memew. Pulling her close in an effort to comfort her. She continued to shake and sputter after her coughing calmed down. Snot was bubbling out of her nose as she slowly calmed back down. Rubbing her face into Dukane's rough fur. She could feel him stroking her back with a paw. Her sobbing fading into mere sniffles as she settled down from the dream she had. Though it had felt so real that she still couldn't get it out of her head.
That scent and the images of mangled bodies continued to linger despite her efforts to get rid of them. The alpha rat nuzzled into Memew's neck as he worked to calm her. However this embrace couldn't last. A sudden blast and rush of air had Dukane drop his hold on Memew as he turned his head towards the source of the sound and pressure wave. He loudly barked out a call of alarm and then grabbed her by the nape of her neck and began to sprint back to his harem room. Barks of alarm echoing out through the tunnels as many rats began to work in order to evacuate the colony.
Memew continued to sniffle as Dukane abruptly switched from holding her close to hurriedly carrying her through the tunnels. She could her the distant barking sounds that carried through the entire colony. Wiping away some of the wetness from her face she glanced around the tunnel hoping to see what was going on.
She couldn't see any clues the entire way back to the harem chamber, but she could hear things. The sounds of what sounded like very distant thunder began to join the barks of alarm. When Dukane got her into the harem chamber he tossed her towards the middle. Memew shook a little as she noticed there were several more guard rats then the one that was normally present.
Looking to Coco Memew sniffed and rubbed her eyes as she watched the chocolatey rabbit be addressed by Dukane. The entire cave system shook as a series of near simultaneous blasts echoed throughout the entire system. Memew rushed into Coco's arms for comfort as the little feline trembled in fear.
Suddenly the images from her dreams began to rush back into her head. Of those armored people murdering those she was starting to get comfortable with. She began to hyperventilate as fresh tears stained her cheeks. Her tail curling around Coco's leg as the fey broke down into a blubbering mess.
Coco held Memew close as the little feline cried into her bosom. She shook her head a bit and nodded to Dukane. Telling him, "Yes, Duke. We'll be careful." Watching him step up amongst the gathered females to allow them to give him one last embrace before he took off into the tunnels to organize the colony's evacuation efforts.
The chocolate bunny turned to the others for a moment before she looked at the guard rats as they began to organize themselves. The highest ranking rat stepped towards the exit tunnel and took command of the others. Instructing them to space themselves with enough space for several of the females to travel between them. Coco glanced down to Memew as the poor little thing clung to her in terror. The sandy brown feline was breathing so very quickly and Coco began to stroke her back in an effort to calm her.
Cindy broke Coco's concerned focus on Memew by placing her arm on the bunny's hip and pulling her close. Concern filling her own voice as the mouse stated, "Coco, you need to stay alert." Her words got the chocolate bunny to nod in acknowledgment as the leading rat called out for the group to start moving. Coco glanced back as she started moving and saw the more gravid females getting rides on the guard rats.
She returned her gaze forwards as she began to watch the ground ahead. They were probably going to lose many of the young just from the trip through the vast tunnel network. Only the matured rats could actually survive on the surface and their only hope was to follow some of the many scout tunnels in hope of finding a place they could be safe.
The tunnel seemed to amplify the sounds of the group. From shuffling feet to the claws of the rats scraping against the occasional rock and even the groups collective breathing. Distant sounds of the invaders' weapons added to the cacophony of sound. Coco wanted to press down her ears as the lead rat turned off into a darker tunnel. She could feel that it wasn't a commonly used tunnel as the smooth packed ground beneath her foot pads turned into loose earth and the occasional small rock.
Memew had calmed down considerably, but she continued to cling to Coco. She turned her head so that she could watch the walls pass by. There wasn't much for her to look at due to there not having been any luminescent moss cultivated in these tunnels. She whimpered as shapes in the shadows began to play out scenes from her dreams on the wall. Jerking her head and shoving her face back between Coco's breasts as she shook. Trying to hide from those horrible images. Fresh tears leaking from her clenched eyes.
She didn't want to think about those she had gotten to know dieing or even getting hurt! Her jaw clenched as even beneath her clenched eyelids darkness swirled into scenes reminiscent of her dreams. It even began to become clearer until eventually she could see the moment that energy tore through Coco's head in great detail. She could see the life leave that chocolate rabbit's eyes as blood dripped from her nose.
Memew pushed against Coco as she cried, "NO!!" Everyone stopped in response to her outburst and looked at her. Even the lead rat turned partway in the rather narrow tunnel. She gulped and looked around for a few moments as her tail erratically whipped about. It resembled a short length of string that was being vigorously shaken.
Taking several deep breaths Memew flinched a bit as Coco grabbed her and shushed her. Gently stroking her back and beginning to gently hum to her. Memew's panicked breaths began to relax into a calmer rhythm as the lead rat resumed to lead the way through the incredibly dim passage. Color having been bled dry by the lack of light. The scattered bits of naturally growing moss barely provided enough light to make out shapes.
Memew's chin rested on Coco's shoulder as they traveled through the long dark tunnel. She couldn't shake a sense of foreboding that continued to cling to her as the group had to double back a couple times. The tunnels were collapsed and the lead rat tried to dig through a few times before the surrounding tunnels proved too unstable. She sniffed as the sense slowly and gradually grew stronger. Her stomach knotted up as a chilling feeling slowly washed through her body.
When the feeling grew intense enough that she had begun to break into a cold sweat she glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widening as they entered a familiar looking chamber. She clung tightly to Coco as the lead rat chuffed and made a few other noises before heading off to one of the other openings along the walls.
Memew gasped and released her hold on Coco as she felt the bunny lie down. She squirmed out of the bunny's arms as she looked around to see the rest of the group beginning to lie down as well. The fey cat floated a couple inches off the ground as she anxiously flexed her legs and paws again and again. Her tail coiling around her midriff as her eyes jumped from one opening to the next.
Coco pushed herself up and sat against the wall as she rubbed one of her feet. Watching Memew as she asked, "Memew, what's wrong?" The anxious feline turned to Coco and took a breath about to speak when a metallic clink had her ears flick towards the source of sound. She then turned her head towards it and screamed as a painfully bright light filled the chamber. A deafening bang accompanied the light and Memew wrapped her arms over her head as her eyes stung and her ears rang painfully. The fey swaying in the air as it disrupted her sense of balance.
Completely incapacitated Memew's currently crippled senses didn't allow her to see or hear the soldiers rush into the chamber and begin to take down the guard rats. Though after several seconds her senses started to return to her and she could begin to hear what sounded like small thunderclaps, screaming and shouting over the painful ringing in her ears.
She could see nothing from the flash destroying her acclimation to the dim cavern. The noise grew louder and louder as the ringing continued to fade and something grabbed her before throwing her to the ground. A heavy boot pressing on her back as clarity came to what she heard, "Round them up and make sure the beasts are dead." A sharp brief whistle made Memew flinch before a bright box was tossed onto the ground. Spider like legs on the box gripped the floor and raised it a few inches up. It hurt to look directly at, but illuminated the entire chamber.
Memew could hear the others crying out as they were grabbed and pulled towards the center of the cavern. The fey felt some kind of goop land on the back of her head and yelped as she felt a shock from it. That thick goo began to thin and drip down her head as it gradually became the consistency of water. A voice from above her, presumably that of the owner of the boot on her back, stated, "Hey, boss. The SR isn't working."
Heavy footsteps grabbed Memew's attention and she turned her head to look up to the figure that had just walked over. This one wore much heavier armor then the others and knelt in order to grab Memew by the neck. The boot on her back moved to allow this doberman to pick her up. She noticed that the left side of his face was quite badly scarred. The eye seemed to have been replaced by some kind of metal imitation and that ear was merely shredded remnants of what once was an ear.
"This is probably the one that the top boss wants." The doberman stated with a rather disconcerting smirk. He handed Memew to the figure that had had his boot on her back. This figure still had a helmet on so Memew couldn't see his species. She sighed and glanced back to the doberman as she hugged her aching chest. Her ears hung low as she dreaded what was coming up. That hound absently pressed a button on his armor and grabbed hold of the handle that was released to extract a very familiar weapon.
Coco watched the canine with a strong defiant glare. The chocolate bunny gasped as the energy weapon created a small thunderclap as that doberman fired it. The mouse girl Cindy going limp as the blast created an inch sized smoldering circle on her forehead. Many of the lined up females shrieked out as that mouse's skull popped under the pressure of its boiling contents.
The execution broke Coco's defiant attitude and she looked at the doberman. Her now shaky voice asking, "Why? W-we're people..." The canine scowled and aimed his weapon towards Coco. Holding it there for a moment before moving it and executing another of the females as he coldly stated, "You either were or could have been people. You aren't anymore. Now that you've been exposed to the... corruption," He spat out the word with as much contempt as one could imagine as he looked over the helpless figures of the terrified women. "...of these beasts you no longer have rights. Those that aren't too badly corrupted will be lucky to be as much as items in the slave market."
Another blast and a third of the females had her brain boiled. He then stepped back and stated, "Stand them up." Coco and a few of the others protested as they were pulled to their feet. A good few of them broke down begging to be spared.
Their executioner examined his weapon and looked to them as he began to preach, "Corruption be but a sickness. Condemn it. For to allow it in; is itself to be corrupt." Then he fired his weapon again. A body striking the floor as another life was snuffed out. Aiming his weapon to his next target he continued to speak, "Exiling it to death is to be righteous. Freeing the tainted from their unholy existence and allowing them back to the graces of the creator." Another blast and another body struck the ground.
Coco was panting fearfully as she looked to the most recently executed. Closing her eyes for a moment as tears dripped down her cheeks. Looking to the horrified look on Memew's face next she took a breath and her demeanor hardened as she took a step forward as she spat, "There is nothing righteous about this!" Gesturing widely to indicate all of the women who had been coldly put down. Coco stormed up to the doberman and grabbed hold of his shoulders while he observed her without concern.
"What about the children?! Do you slaughter them as well?! What would they have done?" The chocolate bunny demanded of the canine as she glared up at the rather large male. He gripped her shoulder with his spare hand and squeezed. Coco cried out as his grip sent pain through her shoulder and fell to her knees. Her eyes widening as that energy weapon was placed against her forehead. Memew's body flashed as she cried, "NO!!"
Memew felt energy surge through her as she saw Coco knelt before that large armored figure. The energy weapon pressed against the chocolate fur of her forehead. A cry of pain came from behind her as she was released and she then rushed forward. Ramming her side against Coco just as that weapon fired. The fey cat screamed as it felt like a bonfire was lit inside her shoulder.
She wasn't sure what happened but as she looked to see what had happened a boot collided with her face. A dull clack echoing inside her skull as she heard the weapon fire again and saw Coco strike the ground with smoke wafting up from the bunny's face. Something that felt like despair welled up inside her for a moment before slipping away as darkness consumed her.