Path: usenet.ins.cwru.edu!ns.mcs.kent.edu!news.ysu.edu!malgudi.oar.net!news.sprintli nk.net!howland.reston.ans.net!news.moneng.mei.com!uwm.edu!msunews!harbinger.cc .monash.edu.au!giaec!clben1 From: clben1@giaec.cc.monash.edu.au (Silverblu) Newsgroups: alt.devilbunnies Subject: Re: [STORY] Mara Dreams Date: 28 Mar 95 00:37:21 GMT Organization: Monash University Lines: 106 Message-ID: References: <3kuroc$md9@xmission.xmission.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: giaec.cc.monash.edu.au The Sibyl was and existed and was- And knew Silverblu slept. She stretched, then felt a sharp sense of movement, close enough outside that even her cripples senses could know it. "S!lverblu..." she snarled to herself, not ready for another confrontation yet. She paused, her body twisting beneath itself as she hunched down. A crouching hunter... And then she heard the light steps on the path and made her move. mara@the.garden.of.night writes of her journeys: > "S!lverblu! I w@rned y0u n0t t0 return!" A devilbunny hops up the >garden path. The doe is horribly disfigured, her lapine form twisted into >a mockery. Her chrome fur is blinding in the moonlight. > "Wh@t !$ th!$? A k1t?" Sightless eyes examine Mara. The doe >appears unsure, vaguely apprehensive. "H0w d1d y0u get p@$t my wards? Wh0 >are you?" > Mara lowers her head in reverence. > "Hi, mom," she replies. The rabbit stops and is silent. Mara almost believes that the empty eye sockets widen in amazement. The chrome rabbit then takes one step forwards, her paw quick. Despite the diseased body she is sleek and fast in the moonlight, and within moments she is almost touching the kit. "All my kit$ @re de@d," the devilbunny says sadly "All 0f them, child, @nd y0u @re here where n0ne but the F0ur @nd my friend h@ve ever c0me. !t 1$ de@th t0 be here." The kit shook her head, reached out and touched with her soft paw the gleaming bright fur of the ragged ears. The devilbunny looks down at her with a sort of shy surprise. "Y0u t0uched...me. Very few...h@ve ever t0uched me." "Daddy says you're nice," Mara replied "Daddy says you got hurt bad like he did and like him you're nice. And like Uncle Cheshire." "Un...*uncle* Che$h!re?" the devilbunny says, and a slight smile passes across her face. She throws back her silvered head and then brings her upper body down - fast. Mara feels a surprisingly gentle touch on her head from the taloned paws. A soft nose touches hers - A soundless jolt passes through her head and that of the other rabbit. A confirmation of sorts. And the Sibyl begins to laugh "Child!" she cries and her laughter ripples out over the garden "()h Kr@lk, w!ll I h@ve much t0 s@y t0 thee when next we meet!" She loweres her head and nuzzles the kit gently before giving her a loving embrace "My d@ughter," she murmurs. As Mara looks up she sees a halo of moonlight about her mother's head. She hears a rustling in the garden and sees the branches and vines trembling violently. It starts at the top of a tree, a sudden explosion of dark, rich colour. Nightflowers begin to bloom, new and thick leaves sprought. Like a running of sweetness itself the garden grows like nothing seen before. Loops and coils of greenery form dark and secret hollows, and the thorned bushes unfurl roses of such a deep hue that they seem like trembling sculptures of blood. And the bowl in the centre of the garden, the silver bowl, spins on its pedastle, spilling crimson into the moss about it. Higher and higher the pitch of its twirling climbs until at last it is spining upright, a silvery moon itself formed from light. "My de@r ch1ld, wh0m ! l0ve," the devilbunny says gently "The n@me y0ur f@ther @nd Uncle w1ll c@ll me by !$ the S1byl. @nd ! w1ll pr0tect thee s0 th@t th0u w1lt never $uffer @g@1n 1n the w@y th@t th0u h@st." She takes the kit by her grey paw and leads her to stand between the statues and the twirling bowl. There, as she moves her paw, the vines spring up and over the statues of Uncle Cheshire and Father Kralk and even Guardian Friend. With a crack the vines part and in the centre now there is a statue of Mara, her liquid eyes half closed in dreamy revere. "But ! h0pe th@t th0u w1ll c@ll me @s thou d1ds't before." "Yes, mom." And her mother smiles, showing needle like teeth that Mara is not afraid of, and her clawed paws hold no horror either. And in the end, that is all that matters now, that and the love Beryl never gave. /************************************\ After the romping and dozing and laughing Mara looks up to see her mother shimmering slightly. "! h@ve t0 g0..." she says sadly "My ()ther 1s w@k1ng up." Mara yawns and looks sleepy. Her mother smiles, bends down and nuzzles the kit "F@ll1ng @lseep in @ dre@m?" "I can do that." "When y0u d0, @nd 1n w@k1ng see y0ur father..." the chrome devilbunny's grin widens in mischief "Tell h1m @nd Uncle Chesh1re th@t ! send my l0ve. And @sk y0ur father wh@t *h@s* he been d0ing in the w@k1ng l@nds - I w@nt a *full* explanation..." TBC! Kraaaalkkk....Kraaaaaalk! -- The Sibyl. Mother of a beautiful kit! (Baby photos anyone?)