Ribbontail: Enter Emalia
Chapter 33: Infineon

Author's Note: Please read my artist's comments before continuing. :3
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Ribbontail followed Electrabbit obediently, having to scramble and claw her way through the hole in the fence. She had an ungainly fall once she was through the opening, tumbling over onto the green grass. But once she was safely through the metal links, she felt all her old memories flow back.  This was where she spent her many lonely days back on Earth- the old football field, where many children came to play during break time. With a sigh, Ribbontail lifted her head and peered around.

“I think we’re a little bit early,” Electrabbit said, ignoring Ribbontail’s awed expression, “there’s nobody around. Ah well! Let’s just sit back and relax, tehehe.”

With a giggle of delight Electrabbit darted off and rolled on the ground out in the field, her fat fluffy body looking quite absurd as she snorted and romped. Amused by her guide’s playfulness, Ribbontail sat with her back to the fence. After many cute little tumbles and tricks the magical creature shook herself off, throwing herself onto Ribbontail’s paws.

“So miss goddess, how d’you like Emalia?” she laughed, “have any fun adventures?”

Ribbontail shook the rabbit off, giving a terse nod. “Yes, many. We’re making good progress with this quest we’re on. We’ve run into some trouble, but I’m sure we can work it out.”

“It must be real different from this place... an’ it was probably super hard to get used to Kuutamo after living in this world!”

“It was,” Ribbontail answered as she took in the familiar sights. Such a dreaded place her school was. This field corner was the only area in it where she felt comfortable, being averted from her teasing, mocking classmates, and Ribbontail gave a snort. “But I like Emalia...erm... Kuutamo, a lot better. I’ve got friends there, and a purpose.”

Scratching her big ears with a footpaw, Electrabbit seemed to ignore Ribbontail altogether. She changed the subject with an elated, “Oooh didja get to fight any Eclipsians?”

“Only two,” Ribbontail counted, “Screech and OmenBeast. Have you ever encountered an Eclipsian, Electrabbit?”

The little rabbit nodded and opened her mouth as though she were about to say something, but a sudden sound cut their conversation short. It was the distant noise of schoolchildren, their sounds warped and muted by the memory dream fog. The sounds unnerved Ribbontail.

“Sounds like recess just started!” sang Electrabbit, “you should be here any moment. Heheee!”

Ribbontail sighed and shuddered. The young goddess came to the realization then that this was the first- and perhaps last- time she would get to see her old self through the eyes of another. She would be seeing her grim old self slink onto the playing field, dodging out of sight to go sulk and mope. Ribbontail began to smile: she was so much better now...

“Stop daydreamin’ miss Ribbontail, lookit!”

With a furry paw Electrabbit pointed, smiling and looking rather exultant. Across the field Ribbontail stared, blinking through the dream fog. She could see the images of her old classmates filing onto the field. Laughing among themselves, tossing soccer balls and food, parting ways and beginning their games.

Silently Electrabbit and Ribbontail sat and scanned the distant crowds. But after a good stretch of unsuccessful minutes, there was no luck. Electrabbit rose to her paws and bounded forward a few paces, then paced back and forth impatiently.

“Well ya really did take yer time, huh?” she pouted, “geez and look at this dream fog. Ya can’t see a thing!”

Indeed Electrabbit was correct. The dream fog, always dithering between thin tendrils and choking mist, had now grown quite thick. Without Sasha or Pola around the fog felt more ominous than comforting, and Ribbontail shrank back against the fence.

“I tell you, those ‘human’ things are really creepy,” Electrabbit said, always high on energy and constantly needing to occupy herself, “those flat faces, bald bodies. Scary lookin’ if you ask me. It must’ve been really hard to stay warm without fur. And really what’s with those paws? Eeeuck!”

But Ribbontail was not listening. She had tuned out the distant noises and instead had her attention trained elsewhere.

Beyond the smothering fog there was something moving, something large and slow and stalking about like a predator. Ribbontail had felt its presence not too long ago, yet  now she knew that it was there. The dim outline of whatever this thing was, she could see very faintly as it passed in the distance: tall, large, with an immense body like that of a centaur.

Vaguely Ribbontail was reminded of the occurrence two nights ago, after she had spoken with Pola in a dream. The girl had seen this creature standing and observing her, only to turn and flee when Ribbontail spoke to it. Ribbontail blinked and rubbed her eyes. It had to be her imagination.

Then at last Ribbontail heard a telltale noise that confirmed her suspicions. Far off in the distant field she heard the clinking of the chain link fence, then a dull thud against the ground. Whatever this visitor was, it had just bounded over the fence. And it was, indeed, not just in her mind.

Ribbontail rose to her paws to pace about nervously. “E-Electrabbit, are there such things as creatures that can enter these dreams? You know, from the outside world?”

Cocking her head to the side, Electrabbit padded around Ribbontail. She chuckled, “Well sure! But they’re very rare. Only gods can enter your dreams... and sometimes there are Summonings and magical critters like myself. Teehee! We’re a lucky find, though.”

“Are they of any danger? Like, can they hurt us?” Ribbontail turned and lowered her head to the little rabbit, pressing her for an answer.

“Yeah, and that’s why it’s good that we’re so rare. Heehee!” Electrabbit said with a smile. She sat down on the ground and preened a whisker, puffing out her chest. She quickly checked the memory dream’s progress: Stephanie had not yet arrived.

Ribbontail’s voice was surprisingly tense when she asked a second question. “So you can be hurt in your dreams?”

“Yep! See normally a dream is just a dream, right? A thought in your head when you sleep? But when a critter like me or a god enters your dream, then  it becomes kinda special. It’s like you’re in your regular body, only we’re in your own dream realm also. So you’re in two places at once. Teehee! It’s really complex. But basically, anything that happens to ya here also happens to ya in real life. Neato huh?”

Ribbontail paused and pondered this for a moment, hoping for all her life that was not true. A slight relief came when Electrabbit suddenly added onto her statement.

“Oooh but only certain things,” the rabbit said, “like if you somehow get sick you’ll also get sick in real life. Also, if you die here you’ll also die in real life, like you passed on in your sleep. But as long as you don’t die there’s no worries. You won’t get scratches or anything in real life. But... you can still feel pain, get it? Teehee! Like this!”

To confirm this, Electrabbit hopped forward and extended a paw, zapping Ribbontail with a volt of electricity. Ribbontail recoiled.

“Ouch! What was that about? Why you nasty little...”

Forgetting entirely about the ominous presence prowling ever closer, Ribbontail opened her mouth and found herself laughing with Electrabbit. Then Ribbontail dove forward, bowling the little rabbit over in a playful jumble. Together the two played, laughing and frolicking.

Suddenly Electrabbit broke off, doing a series of backflips. She laughed, “Now just make sure ya don’t get KILLED in this memory dream okay? Heeheehee- OOF!”

In the middle of a backflip Electrabbit collided with something.

As the little rabbit flopped to the ground and righted herself, a ghastly truth dawned upon Ribbontail: they were not alone in this dream.

“Oooh ouch, what was that?” Electrabbit mumble, rubbing her rump.

Like a terror from the most twisted of nightmares, an immense beast prowled from the depths of the thick fog. It stood tall and fearsome, stooping over them as though they were mere insects. Delicate brown fur, accented with a soft white underbelly and a gorgeous red mane and blaze along its back, belied the ferocity of this beast. Its fur might have been gorgeous, but the beauty ended there.

From head to toe it was a construction of muscle. This being was built like a centaur, with a lanky upper torso built upon a thick and rotund lower body. Long white claws raked the air and dug at the ground as it reared its head to let out a deep sigh.

Then, with a growl, the beast lowered its maned head and grumbled at the two before it. Piercing red eyes glared from beneath a curtain of scarlet hair. A flat, blunt, vaguely cat-like nose flared as the beast assessed the both of them, and Ribbontail almost cried out when she saw the teeth. Cruel, uneven, oversized teeth they were, too large for her mouth and therefore preventing it from closing its jaws completely. This was a cruel face, carved with anger and malice.

But it was then that Ribbontail saw the fan-like tail and its right foreclaw- a massive crab’s pinscher.

Ribbontail stopped backing away and lifted her ears, her confusion almost abating her fear entirely. “I...Infin?” she breathed.

“Ribbontail, no!” squeaked Electrabbit, “Don’t talk to it. It’s an Eclipsian- looks like a dream walker!”

The little rabbit tugged Ribbontail away from the beast’s face, shoving the goddess a good distance away before confronting this behemoth. Ribbontail watched in stunned silence as Electrabbit turned to the nightmare.

“Listen here, you dirty Eclipsian! This is official gods’ business!” Electrabbit puffed. “Ya got no right to be here!”

But before Electrabbit could say anything else the nightmare beast gave a trumpet and flung a massive claw out. There was a jarring crunch as the paw slammed down upon the tiny rabbit from above, ending her life with a single, unrelenting blow.

It was like hitting a grapefruit with a mallet, Ribbontail thought, aghast as she watched the beast lift her foot to sneer down at the mess of broken rabbit. With an uninterested grunt the monster flicked away the flattened, dripping, dead Electrabbit.

“Electrabbit!” Ribbontail cried. She felt herself shudder and jerk forward to the aid of the electric creature, but her eyes were quickly locked with that of the newcomer.

Her fear suddenly intensified, Ribbontail stumbled backwards. Her face was blank and filled with befuddlement and woe as the monstrosity approached slowly. The wolf’s lips parted slowly and she attempted to press the beast’s name again.  

“Infin is that really you...? An... Eclipsian...?” she whined, her mouth barely able to form words.

At first the ghastly beast said nothing, standing there staring down at the young goddess. Then the beast reached up with its good claw, brushing aside its red locks of hair. The golden Eclipsian symbol glistened at the center of its forehead.

The eyes told all. They swirled with an amalgam of emotion- blind rage, anguish and a new hint of sarcastic mirth. There was no denying that this was Infin. Infin, indeed, having taken on the form of some terrifying Eclipsian.

The entire memory dream around them forgotten, Ribbontail edged further away from the murderous creature. Yet it did not speak, this fiendish deviation of the kindly Infin, it merely stood there watching Ribbontail through slitted eyes.

Ribbontail’s mind raced.

Was Infin, now a great and fearsome Eclipsian, truly the killer that Timothy had claimed? Was she one who could enter the minds of her foes, taking advantage of the laws of dreams and slaying them as they slept? Had SHE been the one who had been spying on her during her prior dream?

Her paw slipping awkwardly over a bump in the grass, Ribbontail dropped to a crouch and gazed up at the monster’s snarling face. “Timothy was right. Infin, you... you really are a killer!” she called as her voice grew weak, “Somehow you can enter peoples’ dreams and kill them in their sleep, so nobody could ever find out. That map you had... did you kill all those people you listed?”

This monstrous version of Infin flicked its ears, eyeing Ribbontail as it saw the look of disbelief upon her face. It seemed to totally disregard the goddess’ question as it spoke.

“Good, good. You’re more observant than I thought! Tell me, do you like my dream form?”

It was Infin’s voice, complete with accent and intones, but rougher and less human. Pinning Ribbontail to the spot with her defiant glare, the Eclipsian spoke somberly.

“I am not just Infin, I am Infineon, walker of dreams! I have lived in this wretched land for two long decades, whiling away among Emalians...” she muttered. Ungainly the beast took several steps back, then swung around and grabbed a hold of the mangled carcass of Electrabbit.

Infineon turned and flung the rabbit, now barely recognizable as more than a mess of bone and blood, at Ribbontail’s feet. She snorted as she saw Ribbontail retreat and cry out.

“...Filthy, judgmental, vile Emalians like that one. Long ago I chose to come to Emalia not to slay Emalians, but to find a better way of life. Things were well back then. I hid my Jakarta symbol with a headband and lived peacefully in Emalia. Everything I’d ever wanted was right there for me- why would I ever need these powers of mine? I had a mate, a home, a village, and one lovely Summoning, Arhil. I even had a little daughter, Qasyari. She should be only a little older than you by now...”

For a moment Infineon’s voice trailed off and she stood there, a terrifying mutant with a nostalgic smile upon her face. In a flash the grin was gone, though, and Infineon grew furious.

“Then one day I lost my headband and my friends saw that I was Eclipsian. That night they fled as I slept, leaving me with naught but my old camel. Do you know what I did to them, love?”

Ribbontail, still choked with fear, shuddered. She whispered, “You... killed them?”

“KILLED THEM! I killed them ALL in their dreams!” Infineon roared. Once more the beast scooped up the grisly corpse of Electrabbit, shaking it in Ribbontail’s pale face. “And what did I have left? Nothing! Nothing but guilt and rage, and little old Arhil.”

Though she felt pity for Infin- Infineon-, Ribbontail tucked her ears down and looked away. She hoped that Infineon would not notice as she eyed the fence behind them, weighing the situation.

Now that Electrabbit was gone and the purpose of the dream lost, Ribbontail felt that she had to do everything to get away. Infineon was a mad beast!

Drawing in one sharp breath, Ribbontail swiftly spun and darted for the hole in the fence. Yet as she did Infineon let out a screech and dove after her. One backhand swipe from the creature’s claw sent Ribbontail crashing against the fence, and Ribbontail felt the wind knocked from her.

“And so I set a goal, like my Eclipsian brethren, to take down as many Emalians as I could. Does that make sense to you, Ribbontail?”

Ribbontail winced as Infineon lowered her head, her red eyes tearing into the wolf.

“Yet... how quaint that in my travels I would come across a god.” Infineon’s voice lowered, dangerously level. “Such a kind soul you were, I thought, to respect me like none other. It isn’t often that I come across somebody with such a true heart...”

Fluidly Infineon lifted herself up to her full height, turning on her paws to pace before Ribbontail. Her voice lost the evenness it had a moment ago, and now she spoke over rising sobs.

“But I was wrong, I was very wrong. You’re just like every other Emalian. Weak, depraved, wicked...”

Then tears streamed from her face as the Eclipsian turned, roaring out at Ribbontail.

“Arhil was all that I had left in this world,” she choked, “Returning the respect you gave me, goddess Ribbontail, I lent you her powers. But you turned and left her for dead... why?”

Ribbontail still had herself pressed to the solid chain link fence as she shook her head, unable to find words. Infineon’s scarlet gaze bore straight through her and pinned her mouth shut with terror; she could not speak.

“TELL ME!” Infineon bellowed.

“It was an accident, please forgive me!” Ribbontail blurted out. She was shaking from nose to tail as she attempted to explain, “The Nde cave collapsed and took Arhil with it; she couldn’t run fast enough to escape. There was nothing I could do! I’m so sorry!”

Those words were unheard.

Infineon was now a great horror, her emotions driving her to a point of deaf lunacy. The Eclipsians OmenBeast and Screech had been mercenaries fed by greed and desire. But here was a monster whose rage came from the worst emotional scenario of all: a mother whose children had been taken from her.

The Eclipsian had lost everything dear to her. No words would be of aid to neither her nor Ribbontail.

For a moment the two stood staring at each other, Infin with her head bent and Ribbontail pressed against the fence. The distant muted sounds of the memory dream were all that were heard for that last calm moment.

“You are ‘SORRY’?!” Infineon sobbed, her voice contorted by a snarl.

Like a flash Infineon dove forth, striking at Ribbontail with her claw. But the young goddess was already up and out of sight, and the Eclipsian’s claw clanged painfully against the fence.

Over the field Ribbontail swept, her form cutting through the fog as she fled from Infineon’s wrathful cries. All around her fog curled and bristled, distorting the dream’s noises into nightmarish music. Ribbontail dared not stop. Infineon had begun her pursuit, and fast. Charging headlong through the mists, her golden eyes darted madly around as she tried to find a way out.

She knew this school field- she knew this memory. There had to be some way to hide.

Panting as she fled, Ribbontail cast a wayward glance over her shoulder just as Infineon came crashing into sight, head lifted in a triumphant roar. The Eclipsian bowled Ribbontail over with a kick.

To the ground Ribbontail was buffeted, puffing and yowling with fright. Instantly Infineon was upon her, circling the downed Emalian and clicking her pinscher ponderously.

“How does one bisect a wolf neatly?” she mused, snarling, “at the chest or the waist?”

Just as Infineon lifted her claw Ribbontail whipped to her feet and leapt, without thinking, onto the beast. The wolf’s jaws caught a roll of flesh where the monster’s upper body met her lower, and she bit down fiercely. But this only enraged Infineon further.

Dodging a swipe from Infineon’s good claw, Ribbontail bolted to the ground and was off before her pursuer could attack. Again the goddess found herself fleeing, hurrying through the fog with blind fear in her eyes. She dodged, zigzagged, and turned erratically in an effort to confuse Infineon, but still she felt the beast behind her.

Then above the enraged howls of Infineon Ribbontail heard the eerie sounds of the memory dream. It was the voices of the schoolchildren- laughing, playing, yelling at one another.

“Safety!” thought Ribbontail. This was a memory dream- what was physical then was physical now, and surely Ribbontail would be protected among the ranks of the crowd.

Stumbling and panting, Ribbontail turned for the voices and suddenly found herself before a mass of children. They were just like they were the day Ribbontail had first died. For a moment Ribbontail stopped, in awe and woe, before remembering the oncoming foe.

In she went.

Ribbontail squirmed safely into the gathering of memory children just as Infineon thundered up, not stopping quickly enough and crashing into the people. It worked just as Ribbontail had hoped. The young wolf was among the crowd safely, too lithe and small to be harmed by them. Yet Infineon was too large to pursue any further, and there was nothing she could do to get in. This was a memory dream, after all. Nothing could interfere with the physical projections.

Incensed, Infineon let out a roar and paced the crowd of playing memory dream children. She lashed out at them with her claws, raking and kicking. Yet they were like stone, these memory dream features. Infineon was at a loss.

“Face me!” Infineon screeched, “Show yourself and face me!”

Ribbontail said nothing to this and instead turned, snaking through the crowd of children until she slipped out the other side. She had a plan now. A quick flight across the field and over the fence, and she would try to get as far away from Infineon as she could. The beast was on the opposite end of the crowd- she’d never see the wolf’s departure.

Creeping out of the safety of the mass, Ribbontail bit her lip and lowered herself to a crouch, hurrying. At once Infineon fell silent.

“The fence, get to the fence,” Ribbontail thought desperately. Spurred by a sudden yowl from behind, Ribbontail bolted upright and dove into the fog, racing as fast as the could.

A third time the two raced through the fog, Ribbontail a blue blur pursued by a screeching terror. The girl did not stop once, not daring to pause or think. Infineon was a maddened creature now, driven by uncontrollable emotion.  

Yet no sooner had they begun did Ribbontail reach the fence. The great gray monstrosity seemed to rise up before Ribbontail, a foe in itself. Having been accustomed to such situations, Ribbontail charged headlong at the fence and threw herself onto it. The screams of Infineon drove Ribbontail up faster.

Diving from the top of the fence, Ribbontail crashed to the ground and felt herself crumple. Leaping straight from the top of the fence had been too great a distance, and aches lanced through the wolf’s paws as she fell to the ground. The goddess lay in the thick grass for a second, her tongue lolling as pain set her paws ablaze.

“Fiend! Now I have you!”

The words shouted from above were enough to goad Ribbontail into action. The goddess was up on her aching paws and tearing down the hill when suddenly Infineon crashed down from the fence. Like an eagle after her prey the Eclipsian pursued her foe. Screams and roars, clacking pinschers, and aches and raw fear consumed Ribbontail as she fled down the hill.

She stumbled painfully, barely able to keep what distance she had from the merciless Infineon. Then suddenly the wolf found herself barreling onto cold asphalt. Taken aback by the sudden memory of her first death, Ribbontail ground to a halt halfway across the road.

As was expected, Infineon took this chance to intimidate Ribbontail again. One callous swipe sent the goddess crumpling to the ground, panting and crying out for breath.

Ribbontail lay there, her sides heaving, eyes rolling. This was where she had died her first life. They were much farther down the road from the school, but the young goddess’ memory of this road was as repugnant as ever. The deafening roar of the truck, the hideous crunch of her body...

Whimpering, Ribbontail tried to drag herself off the road. The truck had not yet come. In this memory dream it was as dangerous as the real thing had been, but it had not come, and it would be here.

“Look!” Infineon snarled, “Look at yourself, helpless before your cruel fate. You’re just like Arhil when SHE died!”

Infineon’s mouth parted and out blared a great laugh, just as Ribbontail threw herself onto the side of the road. Safe on the dirt, Ribbontail panted and turned her pleading eyes to the Eclipsian.  “Please...” Ribbontail rasped.

Tormenting the little wolf, Infineon approached slowly and bent down, kicking Ribbontail harshly with her foot. Then she backed up, hissed like a snake, and did a quick dance atop the asphalt. Like a giddy child she laughed, “’Please’, WHAT?”

Just then, from up the road, the horn from the truck cut through the distant fog. To Ribbontail it was the most horrid of noises, echoing through the mists. Ribbontail’s ears folded down and she scrambled farther away from the road. The truck was coming, and quickly.

“I said, ‘please’, WHAT?” Infineon repeated mockingly, not having heard the distant horn.  

Ribbontail lifted her head and yowled, “Please! Get off the road!”

With a great burst of unexpected strength Ribbontail leapt to her feat, throwing herself at the Eclipsian. She grabbed at her tormenter’s fur and yanked, not to assault, but to help. Tugging bravely, Ribbontail implored, “Move. Move! You’re in danger!”

Infineon let loose a hiss of resentment and jerked Ribbontail off the ground. Without saying anything she held the helpless wolf to her face. For a second Ribbontail’s eyes met the burning red ones of Infineon, then with a sardonic laugh she tossed the wolf back off the road.

Cackling, Infineon danced on the asphalt and laughed before her victim. At long last she had caught her foe! Finally she would have revenge for her Arhil! And the little Ribbontail just lay there alongside the road, helpless, too tired and dismayed to do any more.

The Eclipsian was so caught up in belittling Ribbontail that she did not notice the memory dream truck, charging mindlessly down the road towards her.

At the very last second, with the blaring of the engine roaring in her ears and the headlights flashing over her, Infineon turned. Through the mists the dreaded truck raced. Eyes wide, mouth dropped in a silent scream, and planted to the spot like a deer in the headlights, Infineon had no time to move.

Not even the fiercest of Eclipsians could stand before a truck!