When The Past Becomes The Future

Life And Love

There was a flash of light, and Michael opened his eyes. It was very bright, and the light stung them. He stood on a gray patch of ground. It looked like someone took a section of grass, they drained it of all color. On his right, he saw the moral world, and his friends, gathered around Rocky's body and conversing together. On his left, he saw an endless field of green that stretched into eternity. Michael found himself drawn to the left side. His ability to sense Rocky was accurate, for that is where he found him.

"Hi, Michael!" Rocky greeted. Michael whipped around, and saw himself.

"Rocky...where are we?" Michael asked.

"Meres calls it, The Great Beyond. He created it after his first death. I even got to meet our mother, she's here too!" Rocky said, spinning around in happiness. Michael looked down at himself. He was quickly fading.

" Yeah, that's great but, Rocky, must leave this place. Your friends need you!" Michael said.

"Come back! Are you serious? I'm happy here, and I'm never hungry or alone, or cold...This is the total opposite of the life Jason carved out for me." Rocky responded, licking his paws.

"But...what about Ryder. What about your friends? They love you!" he repeated. Rocky looked at him sadly.

"They will have to live without me. Meres has promised they can join me when they die. Sure it will be hard but...I don't wanna go back. I can't continue fighting for my life every day! Feeling so guilty for it all. I wanted to die, Michael! And now that I have, I wish I had sooner." Rocky retorted. The clock was ticking, and Michael knew it. He saved his most persuasive argument for last. He knew Rocky as he knew himself, and knew only one thing could persuade him to go back. And it wasn't a long, drawn-out speech. It was a simple, three worded question.

"What about Zuma?" Rocky's eye's widened, and he staggered to the side as if he had been hit.

"Don't bring him up, Michael," he warned. "You know I have conflicting feelings for him."

"He loves you. And you love him. At least, I thought you did." Michael said, ignoring him. He and Rocky glanced across to the other side. Zuma was diligently carrying Rocky's spiritless body, speaking to it as if it could hear him.

"It's okay. I'm not going to leave you. It going to be okay." he whispered. The image got fuzzy, and The Great Beyond began taking over the side that was still mortal. It grew smaller and smaller in size. The mortal realm was quickly leaving the pups. access. Micheal lifted his paw. He could no longer see it. He was fading, dying with Rocky's quickly departing soul.

"You are leaving the mortal realm." A deep, resonant voice called behind them. Michael turned, and looked into the eyes of his father. "You must make a decision, Rocky. I will not make you do anything, but your time to choose is ending soon. Be forewarned, if you leave here, you will never remember this. You will think it was a dream, and you will eventually forget all about it. Most of your soul is here, but something is keeping the rest of it on earth."

"Zuma would leave everything to be with you. You know that! You can't bail on him." Michael snapped at himself, turning to face Rocky.

"But I can't go back, you know what my life was like." Rocky pleaded.

" You're pathetic..." Michael muttered, turning away from him.

"What?" Rocky sputtered.

"Yeah, I said it. You're just a pathetic excuse for a pup! " Rocky recoiled in shock.

"Huh? What do you mean?" his fur bristled.

" Get over yourself! Do you think they aren't hungry? Huh, Rocky? Do you really believe that they aren't hurting? Well, they are! Difference is, they are trying to move on in life. But not you. No, no, no, no, no! You are going to run away from it all, and leave them to suffer for it. What does that make you? A pathetic coward, that's what! And because of your cowardice, when your spirit leaves them, not only will you give them more suffering and more grief, you will tear Zuma's heart out and grind it into the dirt!" Michael spat furiously. "He has high hopes for you, against everything that everyone else has told him. And you are going to bail on him! What type of pup are you anyway?!" He spat. Then he sighed. "I have nothing more to say to you, do what you will," he muttered bitterly. he turned away from him. Rocky looked tortured for a while. He remembered the state he was in at his death. He remembered seeing blood pooling up under him, his chest screaming at him. And through it all, there was one face Rocky took comfort in. Zuma. He had always been there for him, counseling him, comforting him. Hell, he even helped me get over my fear of water! He's right, I am being a pathetic coward... "Zuma..." Rocky murmured. "I have to go back. I can't leave him." he decided. He touched his lips softly, remembering how Zuma's felt against them. Michael looked up at him with tearful eyes. But they were tears of joy. "I knew I could get through to you," he whispered.