Chapter Text
His fur stood alert as his eyes scanned the map in his quivering hands.
“You gonna take the coward’s way out?” A deep voice asked. “Run away to more lives?”
Puss’s shaky breathing didn’t slow as he looked up from the map. The wolf, death, stood out against the towering red flames.
With bared teeth he spun the scythes, and the spark of metal lit up his eye with a fire.
The wolf licked the side of his mouth and took a few steps closer.
“If you get more lives, I’ll just take them away one by one, Gato!” The wolf called, swinging his scythes again.
“And if you got infinite lives, you’d live to see me take your friends.” The wolf said as he reached into his cloak.
He pulled out Puss’s sword and threw it in a sweeping arc, so it landed at his feet.
“So, pick it up.” He growled.
Puss looked at the oval of fire surrounding him. He looked at the wolf. He looked at his sword. He looked back down at the map.
“Pick it UP!” Death yelled taking heavy steps forward and arching his back.
Puss took a few steps back, and glanced at the fire behind him, his breath coming out in ragged gasps he looked down at the map again.
A bright picture of himself as a kitten filled his eyes as his heart filled his chest. He saw his mother giving him his trademark boots as the wolf stepped closer and swung his scythes.
He saw Perito’s belly and Kitty land a savage kick on him. Like last time, his senses felt heightened, he felt small and vulnerable, he felt like he was trapped in his boots.
Unlike last time all he saw was Perito and Kitty, they filled his vision in flashes of light and emotion. He opened his eyes and a single tear rolled down his cheek, dampening his fur like the blood had.
“What’s the matter?” Death asked, his head cocked at a friendly angle that was anything but.
“Lives flashing before your eyes?”
Puss knew the truth now, he couldn’t lose Perito and Kitty. He took in a large breath and let the smoky air strengthen his resolve.
“Just one.” Puss said. The most sure he’d ever been in what he would do.
Turning to the map he said
“Star light, Star bright…”
Lobo rolled his eyes and scoffed.
“First star I see tonight.”
Beneath everyone, the star seemed to grow brighter, rising from its ancient crater.
“I wish I may I wish I might…”
From outside the circle Kitty reached for her sword and Perito started to whine.
“Have this wish I wish tonight!”
Puss said, his sentence ending with a powerful emphasis.
“And what’s your wish you pathetic pussycat?” Death asked stalking closer and tightening his grip on his scythes.
For the first time since stepping onto the star, Puss smiled. It was cocky, arrogant and everything Death hated about the legend.
Death started running towards him, his teeth on display and his scythes glinting in the fire.
“I wish I was Death!”
Puss said, as the star shone with a blinding light.
The wolf halted in front of him, entirely dropping his scythes.
The star shattered beneath their feet and geysers of blue light burst forth from the cracks. A sparkly mist slowly around everyone on the star, and the wolf started coughing.
Puss couldn’t see what was going on; the magic dust was too thick, but he could feel that it extinguished the flames behind him. He moved backward until he heard the wolf groan. It was guttural and a disturbing contrast to the superiority he’d shown before.
The wolf started coughing louder, more violently, and Perito barked and whined next to Kitty. Puss looked down at the map, trying to ignore the sounds from the wolf, which had devolved into pained yelps and a violent splattering of liquid.
The map’s writing started to disappear, and the outline of the star slowly faded from a bright gold to a sable black. Lobo started howling, a mournful wail that echoed across the star, so loud that its origin was unplaceable.
Puss held the map tighter, tried to shut out the noises.
Jack, the baker and Goldie covered their ears; the howls becoming higher, frightened and less natural.
Puss heard a skittering of claws on a smooth surface and Perito’s whining getting closer.
Puss and Kitty both yelled
“Wait!!”
Puss ran straight forward, then, heard a shriek and Perito ran at him from out of the dust.
He shook and ran behind Puss, his back was arched and his eyes were wide.
Puss turned around petted the vibrating dog. Perito stiffened at his touch and scampered back a few steps.
“Puss…What did you just wish for?” He asked. Then he covered his ears with his paws and howled.
The Wolf’s howls stopped then, and the dust started to disperse. The light from the star dimmed and it broke, collapsing inward.
Puss didn’t move.
Kitty ran over and grabbed his arm pulling him towards the edge. The feel of his feet on a dangerous surface seemed to pull Puss back to reality and he started running faster.
He cleared the jump with ease, his body springing into the air in a smooth arc. He landed with both feet on the ground and had to catch himself on his hands. Kitty landed next to him and took a few steps forward.
Somewhere behind him, he heard a strange whizzing, like something moving fast through the air.
Kitty picked up the map. It was all black now, save for Puss’s wish written in the bright golden cursive.
“I wish I was Death.”
Kitty dropped the map and took a few steps backward. Puss stood up and dusted off his arms, shaking slightly.
From out of the sky dropped the two scythes, Death’s scythes.
“Perito, get behind me.” Kitty yelled, pointing her sword at Puss.
Puss turned around and the sword was the first thing he saw.
“K-Kitty, what are you doing?”
“You wished you were Death?!”
“It was so Lobo wouldn’t kill me, or you and Perito.”
Puss took off his hat and took a few steps forward.
Goldie turned from where she was comforting the bears.
“Wait, you wished you were Death!”
Jack and the baker turned around from where they were gazing into the crater.
“Aw, I wanted to be Death, that would’ve been so fun!” Jack said. Pouting as he hung his arms.
“He-He’s still alive, the Wolf’s still alive! That’s him moving down there!” The Baker said gesturing at the slumped figure with one of his saws.
Mama bear, Papa bear, Goldie and Puss leapt into the crater, sliding down it’s walls to reduce impact.
They all ran to Lobo. Mama got their first.
“Are you alright.”
Mama asked. Her voice wavered, Lobo’s scream echoing through her ears.
The wolf did not look alright, curled inside a large puddle of viscous black liquid that seemed to drip from his closed eyes.
Papa and Puss came up next to her, Goldie stopping a few feet behind.
The Wolf gave a shuddering gasp and then propped himself up on his arms.
“I feel so weak.” He groaned.
“and so free.” Lobo said looking up at the stars.
“A lot of stars out tonight.” He said, gesturing easily towards the sky.
“You’re not dead!” Puss said more than asked.
“No, and perhaps I should thank you Gato.” Lobo said, bringing himself up to his full height.
He was still a menacing figure, taller than the bears, draped in shadows and a mouth that doubled as an armoury. However, now his eyes were a bright white instead of a bloody red.
“My job is not an easy one, as you’ll come to know.” He said giving Puss a knowing glance.
“When you come for me, can you tell me if you enjoyed it.” He asked as he pulled down his hood.
Lobo licked his lips and whistled as he walked away from the group.
Mama started to follow but Papa grabbed her shoulder and brought her into a bear hug. Then the three walked back to the edge of the canyon.
The wall up was steep but not impossible to climb. They were silent the whole way, thinking about what they’d heard and seen.
It felt like the moment was holding its breath, then it released it in a shriek at the ledge of the crater.
Puss looked around, his new scythes were still on the ground, Jack and the baker saw everything and were curious, but Kitty and Perito were missing.