Path: usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!sun.cais.com!ne ws.cais.com!cais2.cais.com!jaykay From: jaykay@cais2.cais.com (JayKay) Newsgroups: alt.devilbunnies Subject: [Story] Memories Date: 3 Feb 1995 23:35:53 GMT Organization: Capital Area Internet Service Lines: 455 Message-ID: <3guekp$cub@news.cais.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: cais2.cais.com X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] "You were right, Sylvi. Trying to prepare for the picnic did help my recall quite a bit. I think the tape from the previous picnic helped me recall a lot about the devilbunnies. It will be fun to tell another history story again." Sylvi was nodding at Jaykay as he spoke. She then asked, "You don't feel to tired?" JayKay smiled and replied, "Not at all. I've been eating regular and getting lots of sleep. I even remember some about Sibyl!" He said this with some obvious pride. Sylvi put her hand on the mans arm and said, "Just don't push things. It'll come back to you with time. I've got to go and make sure the last minute preparations have been completed. I'll be back. If you get tired, we can stop. The kits can hear the story another time, OK?" JayKay looked at the woman and wondered, not for the first time, why she would be so concerned about him. He just chalked it up to being human! Before she slipped away he asked, "Why are the cameras here?" He pointed at the television cameras at the end of the room. Sylvi smiled and replied, "When the news got out that you would speak on devilbunny history again, several teachers asked that it be recorded and broadcast for their classes! It seems the devilbunnies don't have much in the way of reference material about their early history." The woman smiled and walked away quickly to attend to some other matters. JayKay hadn't told her of the dream with the little, chrome colored bunny. He didn't tell her that the majority of his recovered memories were do solely to her intervention. He wasn't going to, either. Sylvi was a nice woman but had her beliefs firmly planted in the physical reality about her. She would immediately try to find a rational explanation for what was, fundamentally, a mystical event. In JayKay's opinion, that was what was wrong with the empirical approach to education. It just wouldn't allow for anything that didn't agree with the dominant paradigm! The room was done up in the nature motif that JayKay remembered. The kits were spaced out about the room with families drifting in. JayKay wondered if what he was about to relate to them would be believed. {It doesn't matter, I guess!}, he thought to himself. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Sylvi walked to the front of the room. The microphones were arranged at strategic places on the floor. The orphaned kits sat closest to the place where JayKay was seated. They were excited, as was the other kits. Many ran about in play and parents talked pleasantly with each other. Sylvi discreetly cleared her throat and asked, "Would everybunn take his or her seat? Let's get started, shall we? Now, who can remember what JayKay talked about at the last picnic?" She looked about her at the kits. One of the kits raised it's paw and said, "The first devilbunny federation!" Another shouted out, "About how the devilbunnies first fought with the Fudds." Another kit shouted a correction, "The hunters. They weren't called Fudds then!" Pandemonium set in as other kits chimed in about Ra and the small sizes of the warrens. About the mean hunters and the great battles. Sylvi waved her hands in the air and called to get their attention. "OK! I see you all WERE paying attention. Well, JayKay will now tell us about more history and what happened to Ra and the first federation. Now, let's all get settled. Everybunn get their carrots and drinks so we can begin." When all seemed ready to her, she turned to JayKay and said, "If you start to get tired, stop. OK? I mean it, don't push yourself." JayKay laughed at her and called her a clucking hen. JayKay started: When we last gathered like this, I told you about a devilbunny that had help form the first devilbunny federation of warrens. I told you about his bravery and how he didn't really want to lead. How he didn't feel that he deserved the honor his people gave him. I also told you that no one knows his name. I didn't tell you why! Now, I will tell you why his name can not be found and about why so little is know about that time. Now, I will tell you about the time of legends! The federation of warrens had grown under the leadership of Ra. He had standardized the education among the warrens. The weights and measures. He was setting the foundations of devilbunny culture and civilization. As time passed, his fighting skills grew great. Hunters leaned to fear his name. The hunters were still, basically, loners. They offered there services to the average human as pest control experts. They employed vacuum cleaners with the older style devilbunny. The fluffy balls of lint could still be found in dark and damp places. They professionally cleaned dust bunnies. The hunted, trapped and killed the newer devilbunny. They told the average human that the new devilbunny was a rabbit that had contracted some disease and that was why they were so aggressive. The devilbunny was just an infected rodent was what they said. They didn't want the average human to know about the new threat to humanity! Ra organized militia and trained troops in combat technique and strategy. He formed a simple means for one warren to communicate with another, in relay rabbit runs! The safety of the devilbunny grew and their numbers grew. The people continued to call him great and he continued to feel unworthy. One day, two devilbunnies came to Ra. They wanted to join his army. They asked him to teach them how to fight the hunters. One was as black as night and had blazing red eyes. He was called Moon Shadow. The other was brown, like the rich earth with blazing red eyes and he was called Moon Child. No one knew what warren they came from and they wouldn't tell. It was thought they were brothers, twins born to the same mother. They already knew about fighting and seemed trained in the strategies of war. It was said of them that they had a charmed life and strange powers of mysticism. Who can know today? You may have often heard of the legend of the Slaughter Moon Twins. It is these two brothers that those legends are based on. The legends embellish what happened with them. This is natural over time. The actual history is quite interesting and that is what I'm going to tell you about. The actual slaughter moon twins. They were, by all accounts, clever and devious. They were definitely brave and great fighters. They also tended to use mysticism to their advantage. They enlisted with Ra to fight the hunters. The hunters were just starting to unite in their efforts to combat the devilbunnies. In battle after battle, the twins were victorious over the hunters. Sometimes, they out smarted the hunters. At other times, they just out fought them. The twins were know for their viciousness against their enemies. They often took their time in killing a vanquished foe. In time, the twins worked their way up in the devilbunny military. Some said that they assassinated higher ranking officers to gain the office! How ever, their prowess as fighters grew to legendary status that rivalled Ra. Ra didn't take this badly. He ended up appointing them in charge of the devilbunny military. In time, each brother became leader of his own warren. They were sought after by doe and praised by bucks where ever they went. Ra often granted them privileges as rewards for some deed of bravery. They soon became legends in their own times among the people. As the hunters became fewer, the devilbunnies started to become more open with their activities. They became bolder and bolder. Soon, politics came into play between warrens. Some wanted to form a great warren and make all warrens, even those that weren't part of the federation, a part of the same political structure. Others wanted to allow local warrens to keep their sovereignty and elect to join the federation. The brothers advocated the idea of one central power and making all warrens subject to that central authority. Ra advocated a loose federation of warrens. Naturally, warrens started to take sides. They began to fight among themselves. The militia had to be deployed to stop the fighting. It was said that the twins were behind this. That they were manipulating warrens to gain power. No one knows for sure. As the twins began to put down warrens because of the violence, they became more ruthless when dealing with their own people. After awhile, they began to crusade on a plan of conquest! They dropped all pretense at keeping the peace. Each brother took his army and invaded warrens. They always had good reasons for their actions. Often Ra would chastise them but the pro federation bunnies would overrule him. The twins had the backing of politically powerful bunnies. As time progressed, the twins became more powerful and more feared. The federation that the devilbunnies had built was on the verge of collapse. Ra was accused of being incompetent and the pro federation bunnies called for Ra to step down as leader. Each one of the bunny politicians thought it would be appointed leader. Ra told them that if the public wanted him to step down, he would. The twins surprised everybunn by announcing that they would support Ra in all his decisions. They each pledged to obey him, openly and in public. When ever Ra directed them to leave a warren, they did so immediately. The people saw that Ra had the support of the two heroes. Strangely, this resulted in greater civil unrest. Warrens attacked each other. Warrens that weren't part of the federation were openly attacked by those that were part of the federation. DevilBunny was actually killing DevilBunny! The young against the old, brother against sister and even mate against mate. Chaos ruled the day. Non aligned warrens turned in desperation to their former foes, the hunters. They pleaded with the few remaining hunters to help them. Those hunters debated with one another. They were concerned how such things would affect the land of alt.devilbunny! They finally said, "If the devilbunnies want to kill one another and destroy each others warren, what's it to us? Let them, we couldn't care less. In the end, we will simply walk in and clean them out!" When this was announced by the hunters, it was like a great madness swept through the devilbunnies. They started a great civil war and slaughtered one another. It was at this time that the first great federation of devilbunny warrens collapsed. Ra, disgusted with his people, gathered those true to him about himself and formed a warren. He warned other not to bother his people and offered anybunn sanctuary if they would honor the warren laws. Be created an enclave of peace among the battling warrens. At this time, the twins set about conquering the land of alt.devilbunny. They fought and took over warren after warren. It was said that they employed strange powers to do this. The truth isn't know about it. They made a pact with each other that they wouldn't invade each others territory. They both agreed not to attack Ra. They seemed to fear him, even though their military forces were far superior to his. He only had one warren and they had many. He told them he wouldn't interfere with them so long as they left his people alone. The twins pledged to do so. Soon, they had every major warren under their control. After awhile, it is said that strange creatures started to appear in the land. Large creatures that would eat the devilbunny. Other creatures that delighted in killing devilbunnies. It is said that even a sorceress came to the land. It is said that the twins sought her out. They promised to make her powerful in the land if she would teach them her magick! She agreed to this and began teaching them arcane arts and mystical secrets. She would cast spells and help them overcome warrens. She taught them how to employ the things of nature against their enemies. How to use the lower beasts as troops. I often wonder if she wasn't from a more technologically advanced culture, as I read about her. After awhile, the twins approached the sorceress about Ra. They told her how he stood in the way of final victory. How he could sway the people against them. They asked her to help them overcome him. They told her they didn't want to kill him because that would turn the people against them. Ra heard of this and decided to move his warren to a secret and safe place. He announced to all alt.devilbunny that he was going to leave with his warren. He was going high into the mountains and establish an impenetrable fortress! No one knows to this day what mountains he took his people to. He just went to the mountains without telling anybunn when. His warren was completely empty when the twins showed up to try to detain him for the sorceress. Ra had left a warning for the twins not to follow him. He said he would destroy them if they did come to his warren, high in the mountains. The twins proceeded to conquer more and more warrens in outlying regions. The sorceress taught them how to use the powers at her disposal. The few remaining free warrens pleaded piteously with the hunters to help them. It must have been pitiful enough because the hunters started to help the free devilbunnies. They did manage to stop the twins from taking every warren. Other creatures came and hunted the devilbunny with the humans. The twins managed to fend off the humans and their allies with little problem. In time, the twins decided to settle down and consolidate their empire. One of the twins, Moon Childe, was a good leader to his people. He dispensed justice and helped the weaker warrens. He helped the sorceress gain power for herself. The other twin ruled by cruelty and terror. If a warren didn't obey him, he killed everybunn. Even the kits! He did this often and his cruelty was becoming excessive. Each of the twins were said to practice a strange religion involving the moon. Moon Shadow was said to torture victims in rituals to the moon. It is said that the sorceress was the founder of this religion and attended secret ceremonies with the twins. She showed them the power that can come from pain, terror and the release of life. Eventually she announced a plan to take over all the world, human and bunny alike. She was to be the queen of a human and bunny empire. The twins would share in her power so long as they served her. She saw only one obstacle to her plans! Ra! He was still popular with the devilbunnies. Those devilbunnies ruled by Moon Shadow were said to leave in the night to join Ra. This made the sorceress and the twins very nervous. They were afraid Ra would get a force together and attack them. She had a plan that the twins would help her with. She would put everybunn asleep in the mountain warren! She wanted to kill everybunn but Moon Childe stopped her, saying that killing Ra would make a martyr of him. She agreed and they worked hard to do it. Unknown to this group of world conquerors, a group had been made up to strike at the fortress of the sorceress. They were composed of small bands of warriors from all the threatened species. Humans, devilbunnies and other. As the sorceress worked her magick, they made their move against her and the twins. As she just finished her enchantment of sleep, they attacked. It isn't written how they got into the fortress or how large the force was. Some legends say that the twins allowed them in to kill the sorceress so that the twins could have the empire of the slaughter moon to themselves. That's what they called their empire, the Slaughter Moon empire. The slaughter moon was the religion they had started. No one knew why they worshipped a slaughter moon. It seemed to be something in their past. Some said it was because of a battle that took place in the full moon. One of the kits jumped up and said, "Magic ain't real! All the mentats say magic don't exist. Are you making it up?" <*stomp*> The man chuckled at the kit. "No, I'm not making it up. Many who have studied the ancient archives think the sorceress came from another time or planet. They think the magick was just some form of advanced technology. To the bunnies of that day, many of the things you do every day would seem magick! It's one possible explanation. Think we can go on with the story?", JayKay smiled as he asked the kit for it's permission to continue. The kit gave an embarrassed <*fluff*> and said, "Well, I still don't believe in no magic! She could have been from another dimension! I heard that devilbunnies might have come from u'nother di'mson!" The kit was starting to get excited and it's parents pounced just in time to keep it from running up to the human. JayKay laughed while other giggled. He said, "Let's see, where was I? Oh, yes." Just as the sorceress finished her enchantment, a wall fell on her. The freedom fighters had put a bomb on the other side to get in. By accident, they crushed the sorceress. The twins fought with the band of invaders and got away. The fortress of the sorceress fell to the freedom fighters and they destroyed it down to the foundation. The twins returned to their warrens with the first defeat they ever experienced. Moon Shadow started killing bunnies in rage. Moon Childe blamed Ra. The twins ordered that the name of Ra be struck from every reference the devilbunnies had. Ra was never heard from again and the twins made sure he was never heard of again! Eventually, the twins started to covet each others warrens. Moon Child was beginning to be less cruel and more gentle in his ways. Of the two, Moon Child was more of an honorable leader. He didn't kill his subjects as much as his brother. He seemed to like the comforts of life. Mood Shadow was growing more cruel and harsh with his people. He held slaughter festivals, it's said. He seemed to want to increase his powers. The devilbunnies under Mood Shadow started to call upon Moon Childe for help. Moon Childe started to rebuke his brother for all the brutality. Moon Childe started to tell Moon Shadow about other religions. About how kindness was stronger and would help to rule the empire. Moon Shadow just laughed at his brother. He told Moon Childe that he had grown week and that he would take the warrens from him. Moon Shadow went to a warren to talk with the warren leader. It's not said what Moon Shadow requested or what the warren leader granted. What is on record is that the warren leader publicly begged Moon Shadow not to destroy the warren. He sent envoys to Moon Childe to seek help. Moon Shadow was about to invade when work came to him from Moon Child. Moon Child asked him not to invade this peaceful warren. It's said that Moon Shadow laughed and immediately ordered the invasion. He entered the warren and killed everybunn. He even killed all the new born kits. A few bunnies got away and they told the story of the slaughter. Moon Childe became very angry at the other twin and vowed revenge. Moon Shadow started to invade his brothers warrens. War broke out among the twins. Moon Childe, it's said, enlisted the aid of other creatures. This was the start of the end for their slaughter moon empire. As they battled, warren after warren declared freedom from them. Armies arose and attacked the forces of either twin. About this time, other creatures began invading alt.devilbunny! Bunnies were being slaughtered everywhere. All manner of creature was invading. They claimed to have magical abilities and be very powerful. Whole warrens were destroyed by just one creature. Eventually, a creature claiming to be a dinosaur entered the war. It killed by stomping devilbunnies. It was alleged to be huge. This started a great flame war among the many inhabitants of the land. During this time, the twins disappeared. No one knows what happened to them. Perhaps they just got tired and went away. The great flame wars disgusted many. Perhaps they were killed or maybe they killed each other! We just don't know what happened to them. New fuel was added to the flame wars when a new hunter appeared. It was a rather feisty lady that called herself Obiwan. Eventually, she helped bring order back to the land. She helped to put together a loose bunch of rules of conduct that guide to this very day. They made up the rule about no killer dinosaurs at this time. The twins were forgotten as the land started to heal itself. No story or legend can do justice to what happened. Many legends began at this time. Even the mountain warren of Ra was forgotten. If you want to know about these things, you will have to hunt down the archives and seek out the last survivors. No one has set these things down on paper or in computer archive. As for my source, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let's just say it's a.... memory! JayKay smiled as the kits started talking among themselves. They wanted to start hunting more down about the history of their race. This was good. Some day, they may even find out how they came to be, he thought to himself. JayKay also smiled as he realized he was remembering more about his own recent history. The Sibyl! He must find out what Snug had done. Eventually, the picnic began breaking up.