14 The Brightest Star that Night

 

 

Chive was staring out the window.   The dishes he held were still occasionally dripping from an attempt at washing.  He'd given up on them at some point.  Looking in the direction of Selena and Kipper's, he considered the history of bad ideas, and thought this would be pretty high on the list.  Mind you, if you're going to fake your own death, blowing everything up is a rather clear-cut way to do it.  The trick is not blowing yourself up by accident.

The other trick is keeping your head in the right place long enough that you don't succumb to your own darkness and do it on purpose.

 Magnolia was stretching in her chair on the other end of the table, straightening her dress again and again.  She worked her mouth around, finding it unwilling to speak the words she was thinking.  "Do you think he -"

***** 

 "Are you happy?  You scared out all of our business.  An' it's not as if new customers are a dime a dozen around here.  You can start by buying us a new front door,"  Selena hissed, pointing a crooked paw at him. There was no response, save the inexorable approach of the Rainy Rabbit.

"And what's this carrying torches around in the rain, anyway?  This your first time in Outpost or something?"   Kipper kept his demeanor light, but meanwhile his paw was reaching around under the counter for the cutting knife that must surely be there.  When was the last time they'd seen a Rabbitfolk in Outpost, anyway?   

He froze, just as his paw found the wooden handle.  How could he possibly forget?  Kindel was in here every single night reminding him.   "You remind me of a Rabbitfolk that used to live here...what was her name now...Hannah?" 
 

The intruder showed no recognition at the name, and continued to advance.  He was running thin on ideas and hoped Selena would jump in by now.  She was even more quiet than usual.

She couldn't respond.  She could only spill silent venom above the paw that covered her mouth.  That conveyed plenty.  At the other end of the arm holding her, Mrs. Trufflebottom held her locked, and Jacques standing behind her.  He was holding the cellar door open with one paw on the ladder.  

Holding loosely to the knife, Kipper considered their options.  The townsfolk had left, leaving the children, Jacques and Mrs. Trufflebottom, and the Rabbitfolk blocking his escape to the door.  Any battle would be over before it started.  He released the blade and backed away slowly, showing his empty paws for effect.

 "Enough.  I don't know what any of you want here, but enough.  Let's talk."

"No one wants to listen to what you have to say," Luca said coldly.  "Just get out."

"Well, I'm interested in what you have to say.  This has certainly been the most exciting night we've had in years, all threats aside.  Can anyone tell me what's going on?" Kipper said, injecting some forced calm into his voice.

But Selena had already decided that there was no discussion to be had.  Teeth sinking deeply into Mrs. Trufflebottom's paw, she let blood run freely to the floor as she sprung to escape.  

"Kipper!  Grab the --uh..!"  Selena had badly underestimated Mrs. Trufflebottom.  A backhanded swing to the head caught her unprepared, and knocked her unconscious against the wall.

 Her crumpled form sprawled across the floor.  Kindel said, "Enough.  She will be moved outside for safety.  I recommend you do the same.  You will not be returning here.  What happens from there is up to you.  The bar known as Selena and Kipper's dies here tonight.  What would you like to see grow from its ashes?"

 

***** 

Selena was still unconscious when Kipper reached the edges of Outpost, and he laid her down gently out of the the rain.  He didn't know what that Rabbitfolk had in mind, but he had a pretty good guess, and he wanted to get as far from it as he could.  He could see Kindel's gatehouse from where they were, and briefly considered moving into its shelter while he waited for her to wake, but he wasn't sure he wanted to be there when Kindel returned from wherever he was.

Besides, he had an odd feeling he knew more about the Rainy Rabbit than he wanted to already. 

Covering Selena, he waited for her to wake.

***** 

Kindel's cloaked form leaned into his massive paws on the bar for the last time.  He said something, inaudible below his breath, and scooped up the torches once again.  Their light cast frightful shadows against his face.

"Out.  All of you.  You know what's coming."

"So this is goodbye, Kindel?  We barely got to know you,"  Scarlet's signature red cheeks were being stained as tears escaped her eyes.

"You never got to know me.  You got to know my shadow a little bit.  I wish you'd gotten to know me."  There was no hiding tears behind his cowl, too.  He hadn't considered tears when putting the outfit together.  It was surprisingly inconvenient. "I need to be able to let that part of me rest.  I need to make room for something else to grow here.  'Kindel' stays here in Outpost; but I want you to think of me every time you hear of the Rainy Rabbit."

"And you're coming back, right?"

****

Armed with the knowledge of his plan, and burdened with the fear of what could go wrong, they fled into the storm.  Somehow the rain seemed even fiercer than usual, lashing their faces with stinging precision.  Arm across her face to shield her vision, Luca missed the curb and rolled her ankle, tumbling into the road.  Mrs. Trufflebottom stopped abruptly and grabbed her, tossing her effortlessly over her shoulder before continuing the escape.

"Thanks.'

""Not leaving you behind,"  the response came, breathing heavy. 

Luca looked back in the direction they'd come from, not wanting to say Not the way we left him behind.

Mrs. Trufflebottom squeezed her tighter. Everyone was thinking it anyway. 

The moment arrived.

The first sound they heard was, of course, Selena and Kipper's as the salts packed to the cellar door exploded beneath the twin torches left to burn on top of the wood.  The initial shock of it stopped the group where they were to watch.  They were only onlookers now - whatever happened, happened.  They were helpless to stop anything from here on.

The explosion was sufficient to ignite the loose items within the bar, likely the wooden tables and such, and within minutes it was turning from blaze to towering inferno.

It was almost beautiful,  like a radiant star in the middle of Outpost dazzling through the night storm.  Everyone watched, entranced, as the flames danced and died and were born again.

The group huddled together as they watched, keeping each other warm in body and spirit.  

Jacques whispered, "He made it out in time, right?  He must have."

Scarlet shook herself loose as she tried to keep her eyes on an odd shadow before she lost it in the clouds.  It was already gone, of course, but few rooftops normally came with beautiful tall ears like that.  The Rainy Rabbit was indeed still with them.  He could probably recognize her red face from there, too.  She waved.  He might still be there, after all.   

Jacques followed her gaze to the roof, but the shadow didn't return.  "For someone we didn't even know until recently, I'm gonna miss him."

Wiping a tear she didn't realize she had,   Mrs. Trufflebottom added,  "Funny how that works.  If you hadn't been insistent on getting supplies, none of this would have happened.  We were one choice away from not knowing any of you.  Instead we found a family, blew up half a city, and probably created a superhero.  I wonder what would have happened if we'd just kept going?"

"Angel Marbles, Mrs. Trufflebottom," Luca said gruffly.  "You don't know how the story ends because you're always a part of the story.  You're here because you're here."

Scarlet felt her entire body squeeze as though in a massive fluffy vice.  Following the hug came more tears.  Before the moment could get any more awkward,  she gave life to the question she had been dreading.  "Speaking of family: have any of you seen Meatball?"

*****