Graveyard of a Madman Part 2

Previous: Graveyard of a Madman

''What was this place, a purple chessboard? He stepped onto the checkered surface of that place, and the ground wobbled below his foot, and he stepped both feet onto it. He looked up to see not only stars, but planets as well. He could have sworn he even saw a shooting star. The night sky looked entirely too busy, and he was suddenly very uncomfortable. He looked ahead at the never-ending purple chessboard ahead of him, and began to march on. Now, if only he had a bishop... or perhaps a knight. He could move on them and get across this gargantuan chessboard, no problem!''

Rinji: Yes, King me!

''As he said this, there came a horrific, screaming laughter from somewhere. That was when the entire sky, and the ground below him began to ripple in gigantic waves, and he felt a horrible rising feeling in his chest, like the feeling you get when you fall really fast. His breath began to quicken, and he looked around himself.''

Rinji: Alright, that's enough! Come on out, you rotten bastard! I don't know what the hell you did to me but you almost killed me.

''That was when Rinji turned around to find a mirror, and jumped when he saw Reflection. The Catman who looked exactly like him, only he was pink and purple-striped, and green-eyed.''

Reflection: Heeheeheeheehee!

Rinji: Oh, it's you. [Dubious glare.]

Reflection: Don't look so glum, ya bum! If it wasn't for me, your lady would be fish fodder, or a black fur coat!

Rinji: Don't be so sure, I could have had that under control, I just needed a tiny breather.

Reflection: Heeheeheeheeeeeeee! You would have been scraping her off of the side of that wall were it not for me. You begged me to help her! BEGGED ME! I did it, did I not?

''Rinji kept his angry glare, but he couldn't really argue with him. He was right, Dala was saved because of him, despite almost killing him with enough brain damage to render him into a coma.''

Rinji: Fine, but that's enough! I want you out of my body and gone forever!

Reflection: [Burst out in a piercing guffaw that caused Rinji to cover his ears.] You ate my fruit, did you not? You didn't really think that you could gain so much power without there being consequences. [Placed his paws against the mirror.] You will never escape me, Rinji. We're going to have so much fun, especially when you need me the very most. Heeheeheeheehee! It'll be like tea time forever! I'll stop the watch right on tea time and we can have a jolly old sing song while we watch the world melt from our own backyard! You and me, and the lady makes three. [Grin.]

Rinji: I'm starting to see why Marcus didn't like you.

Reflection: Heeeeeeeee well, since you're going to be here a little while, why don't we have a jolly old tea time right now? Just let me out of this mirror, and we can have a rip-snorter right where we are! We can--- wait... what are you doing?

''Rinji started packing dirt into his hands, purple dirt that he made from the ground below him. He didn't really know that it was made of dirt, he just thought of it and made it so. It was interesting when you could dream and know what was going on, that way you could make it a reality in which you can choose the happenings. In this case, Rinji tossed the dirt straight into his own face and took a breath through his nose.''

Reflection: Why would y-- Oh, no no no no NO!

Rinji: Aaahhh aaahh! CHUUUUUUU!!!! [Sneezed right into the Reflections face through the mirror, and the mirror glass completely shattered into several small pieces. He shielded himself from the shards of mirror, and then looked to see that the Reflection was completely gone.] There, now that that's over with. What should I be doing?

Rinji shrugged and kept walking through the void.

''Nikk stood atop the crow's nest of the ship, a patch over her eye and a hook on her hand. She wielded a wooden sword and held it up high. Though she rarely showed her eyes, she brushed her bangs out from in front of her face so that her patch-eye was very visible. She also had a pirate captain's stereotypical hat with a very large black feather in it that bristled in the wind. She gazed out toward the sea, and thrust her wooden sword toward it.''

Nikk: Yar, me scallywags, be ready to cast off and plunder ye booty from the helpless orphans and their mothers... or their adoptive mothers since their actual mothers would be dead... yar...

Alice: Hold it right there, Captain Crowsbottom! [Stepped out from behind a hanging bedsheet, as all of the laundry was still drying in the morning sun. Her smaller, better crafted wooden sword pointing toward Nikk.] It is I, Valkerous Whitehorn, here to put an end to your misdeeds!

Nikk: Hark, young fool! How dare you stand against the feared and hated Captain Crowsbutt.... bottom. Have at thee. [Put her hook on the rope connecting the crow's nest to the deck, and jumped down, sliding toward Alice. As she did, two pairs of pants and a shirt fell to the ground as she hit their pins. Their swords met as Nikk unhooked the rope and landed on her feet.]

''Their swords clashed a few more times, and Alice dodged downward as Nikk gave a side slash, and then moved aside as Alice jabbed toward her. They regained their footing, and Nikk lunged and thrusted. When Alice dodged to the left, her sword caught a dress and made it fall to the ground. Nikk counter attacked, and accidentally knocked three pairs of socks off of their lines, then watched as Alice did a roll and cartwheel onto her feet. The two of them met with their swords once again, swiping and parrying. They twirled and ducked under their attacks, then blocking and attacking once again. Two bedsheets and three t-shirts plopped to the ground. As a sock almost went overboard, Nikk caught it, and was still able to knock Alice's sword away.''

''The wooden sword went spiralling through the air, and a blonde-fur paw popped up and caught it. Jiro held the sword for a moment, looking halfway amused, and halfway disappointed. He looked at all of the laundry that was now sprawled all over the ship, and then back at the two of them as they looked at him wide-eyed, Nikk flicking her eyepatch up so she could see straight.''

Jiro: Well, I suppose it's nice to have two volunteers for laundry folding, and distributing. [Grinned.]

Alice and Nikk eyed one another, and Nikk rolled her eyes.

''The whole crew was up at that point, sans the obvious. Kimi sat at their table, having to bring their own table from their own ship in order to extend it enough for everyone on board. She held a cup of coffee and read that morning's news paper, as the pelican had come earlier for Jiro to pay the fee to get a paper. She sat at the table with Ellis and Jana, who all had similar looks on their faces. They had just been through one of the most dangerous ordeals of their lives, and none of them were quite sure of what to make of it. Now the one Catman that they looked to for guidance was lying in a bed, unable to wake. Dr. Ellis Darkwood had done all she could for him at that point. It was a waiting game. She had round-the-clock watch on him, mostly handled by Dala, and she kept fluids going through him, but what else could she do?''

Jana: Well, to answer your question.

Drew both of their attention.

Jana: We need something that will draw our attention. Get Dala in here, and we may as well invite Nikk and Alice too.

Ellis: They're out folding clothes.

Jana: [Smile.] Then we'll help them [Walked over to the main livingroom closet and pulled out a very large tome-like book.] Ladies, I think we're in need of a book circle.

Kimi: A book circle? You mean those boring meetings about stupid books?

Jana: I give you, for your approval, Usagi's first manuscript.

Both of them widened their eyes and looked at one another.

Graveyard of a Madman Part 3