All Things End: Part 130

Chapter 130: Nothing Lasts Forever

Computer could not tell when he had fallen asleep, but after a dizzying spiral downward, through complete darkness, he finally felt his back hit the ground. It hadn't been a rough landing, which surprised him, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself staring up at a blue sky.

“Great, this obviously isn't the hallway.” He muttered, closing his eyes again, partly in annoyance and partly because he still felt dizzy. “I suppose this couldn't have been easy, could it?”

He honestly could not remember all that well how their last trip through the Dreamworld had started. He knew that both he and Courage had lived through one of his old memories, but he hadn't known that at the time and only regained his recollection of the event after waking up. He couldn't even remember where it started, it just sort of bled into the real memory right before Courage showed up and changed how it played out.  

Sitting up, he glanced around. Nothing but a flat, barren wasteland all around him. This was Nowhere, without a doubt. He slowly stood up, afraid that if he went too fast he'd get dizzy again, and then sighed when he realized that there was absolutely nothing on the horizon. He didn't even have the farm nearby to help him get his bearings.

“Why does it not surprise me at all that the dog's mind looks like Nowhere?” He quipped, taking a step forward. “Or perhaps this is a memory instead? If he fell into one of my old memories upon entering the Dreamworld, perhaps the same has happened to me too?”

He turned once in every direction and then placed a paw onto his head. “Alright, then. Which way am I supposed to go?”

He hadn't expected to get an answer and he didn't get one either.

“I guess I'll just start walking then.” He sighed, hanging his head in defeat. “Well, I suppose this is better than a parade of insanity. I'd rather be here than in that corridor.”

Nothing about Nowhere seemed to be particularly out of the ordinary. As he walked, he found himself getting more and more bored and nothing appeared on the horizon to help him find his way either. He seriously hoped that this wasn't a case where he was simply walking in an endless loop. He wouldn't put it past the Dreamworld and its sense of logic, or its lack thereof.

“Maybe I would prefer all that insanity after all.” He grumbled, slowing to a stop for a moment. “Seriously, where the heck am I? It's hard enough to figure out where you are in Nowhere, but without any landmarks I may as well be walking around in circles!”

It was at that moment when something sharp began to stab into the pads of his feet. Surprised, he jumped backwards after almost losing his footing.

“What in the world?” He gasped.

A cactus was starting to grow up in the place where he had just been standing. It already had needles, and in it's explosive growth it would soon be as tall as him. A minute or two more and it would be as tall, if not taller than a human.

“Is this meant to be a joke?” He asked, rubbing his temples as he did so. “This is not the kind of landmark I was looking for!”

Come to think of it though, the cactus did seem to be leaning in one direction. Was it trying to tell him where to go?

“Hmm, I guess I'll take it. Better to get directions from a cactus than to wander around this wasteland for half a century.”

He began to walk again in the direction the cactus was pointing. He seriously hoped that this wasn't the Dreamworld pulling his leg again. For all he knew, he could be wandering right into a trap or something even more dangerous. What if he came across a monster even worst than the ones Courage dealt with on a daily basis? He'd have no way to defend himself and the Dreamworld's lack of logic would doubtlessly be used against him.

“Dog, where on earth are you?” He quietly asked. “I'll never find that hobo on my own, especially not in the middle of Dream-Nowhere! So much for him always having to appear to those who use his rings!”

As he continued his trek across the seemingly endless landscape, he finally caught sight of a blip on the horizon. What it was however, he had no idea.

“Is that the town?” He asked himself. “Well, whatever it is, I just hope that it isn't something dangerous.”

The object on the horizon wasn't moving, which at least ruled out it being a monster. As he steadily got closer, it started to take on a more familiar shape. Several more blips appeared as well and he soon realized what he was looking at.

“It's the farm!” He exclaimed, picking up his pace.

There was no doubt. He could see the windmill turning in the light breeze, and both the barn and the house itself, which looked about as normal as ever. The Dreamworld hadn't tampered with the farm at all and it was an oasis in the face of an endless walk.

“I never thought I'd be happy to see this place again!” He chuckled. “I'm sure Courage has to be somewhere around here!”

He slowed down as he crossed the threshold, marked by the remains of a fence that Eustace had long left in disrepair. The old man's truck was parked near the house, as always. Computer was struck by an eerie feeling as he made his way over to the front porch. The windmill was quietly squeaking as it turned and yet it still felt unnaturally quiet. Nowhere was always a very quiet place, but this silence reminded him just a little too much of that awful nightmare.

“Something obviously isn't right.” He mused, stopped in front of the porch. He wasn't going to go inside until he figured out what felt so off. Who knew what could be waiting for him. He suspected that he wasn't going to be greeted by Eustace or Muriel and that was a surprisingly scary thought.

He slowly scanned the farm for something out of the ordinary. His memory of what this place was supposed to look like wasn't the greatest but even he knew where everything was supposed to be. It was then that he noticed there were two objects sticking out of the earth between the chicken coop and the barn. They certainly did not look like something that was supposed to be there and he couldn't remember them either.

“What are those?” He whispered, squinting to get a better look.

He made his way over there and his heart plummeted. It did not take very long for him to figure out just what those things were.

“Oh, no.” He groaned, rolling his eyes. “No, no, no! Here we go again with another 'adventure' of self discovery and emotional healing! God, I hate this place!”

The two objects were poorly crafted gravestones and beneath them lay freshly placed dirt. He didn't need to read the badly chiseled names on the stones to know who they belonged to.

“Might as well get this over with.” He sighed, hanging his head in annoyance. “Courage is going to be an absolute wreck. There's no getting around it.”

He tromped back over to porch, ready to deal with this new 'lesson' that the awful Dreamworld was no doubt trying to teach Courage. Perhaps going into his mind hadn't been the best idea after all. He 'did' have fears and insecurities all his own that this place could easily exploit, and exploit them it had. The deaths of Muriel and Eustace were certainly a big one and the Dreamworld had jumped right onto it.

“Courage?” He called out, slowly opening the front door just wide enough to stick his head through.

The living room was dark and gray, aside from the light coming in though the windows, and that only made square shaped sun spots on the floor. The dust could almost be seen hanging heavy in the air. Despite Muriel and Eustace's deaths having apparently been recent, the inside of the house looked like it had been abandoned for weeks, if not longer.

“Courage, are you in here?” He called out again. He was finding himself speaking in a low voice despite the fact that he was trying to find the dog. It didn't feel right to yell in the face of such a solemn scene, and he still didn't know for certain what might be lurking around either. It could easily be a trap to get him to let his guard down and he knew nothing of what had caused Courage's owners to die. If it wasn't something mundane, it could easily be something just as deadly and still out on the prowl.

Stepping into the house, he could almost feel the wave of near physical despair hit him. The entire atmosphere inside the quiet house was stifling and filled with sorrow. Nothing moved. Not even the house creaked. It was like the farm itself had died along with its owners. There was no hum of electricity. Neither the breeze outside nor the squeaking of the windmill could be heard.

“This is going to be 'fun'.” He sarcastically quipped to himself. “How am I supposed to find the hobo when I have to deal with something like this? I can't just leave the dog to languish in a place like this! Even if he isn't around, I can't just forget about him and go looking for that stupid, homeless, idiot instead!”

He went over to the kitchen and stuck his head inside. There was no sign of the dog in there either. As he scanned the room for any signs of life, he couldn't help but get the feeling that he had dropped right into a black and white movie. Everything was so gray and colorless. The light shining in through the windows was so strong that it was impossible to see outside. It was like he had been cut off from the outside world completely and the inside of the farmhouse had become its own eerie dimension.

“Dog?” He called out. No luck, but he was already starting to get a sense of where to find him. He knew that there was no other place for him to be, especially at a time like this.

He turned around and looked up at the staircase. How he wished he didn't have to go up there....

“He's where I think he is. There is no doubt.” He whispered to himself. “I have to go get him. I can't just leave him all alone like this.”

He took a step forward, mentally preparing himself for what was coming. The walk across the living room and up the staircase was a slow and quiet one. The wood that usually creaked whenever anyone stepped on them remained silent. It was like someone had hit the mute button on this black and white movie as he journeyed up to the second floor.

Almost immediately, the sound of weak sobs reached his ears. He already knew where they were coming from. He didn't need to speculate.

He inched forward, passing both the bathroom and the bedroom. The sobs grew louder as he neared the attic door. Not a single sound interrupted the weeping, like the house itself was mourning along with its occupant.

He stopped in front of the attic door and was met by exactly what he had expected to find. His ears drooped at the sight of it as he knew that this scene would one day be inevitable.

Courage was at the desk, his muzzle buried into Computer's keyboard, well, the dream Computer's keyboard at least. His dream counterpart's screen displayed a red, continually flashing 'ERROR' message. He too was dead along with everyone else Courage that cared about in this awful nightmare.

The dog's sobs echoed through the attic. How long he had been like this was anyone's guess. Computer took a step forward but the sound of it was as muted as ever. He honestly didn't know what to say to get his friend's attention.

“Courage?” He gently called out, too at a loss to come up with any other words to speak. Even his own voice didn't carry very far through the thick, dusty atmosphere that encompassed the whole house.

The dog slowly raised his head up off the keyboard. He first looked up at the screen, probably expecting to see that error having gone away, and then, disheartened once more, began to weep all over again.

“Dog, I'm over here.” He spoke once more.

The tears momentarily stopped flowing from Courage's eyes and then he turned towards the real Computer. His mouth fell open in shock.

“You're alive.” He said in a weak voice. “You're alive!”

Computer made no effort to escape the rocket of a dog that cleared the space between them in less than five millisecond. He was tackled to the ground with such force that he was surprised that they both didn't go falling right through the floor.

“Courage, I-” He tried to say, but it was impossible to do when the overjoyed pup just wouldn't stop nuzzling him.

“You're alive! You're alive!” He repeated over and over again. He was hugging him so hard that it was an amazement that his ribs hadn't been crushed into dust yet.

“Of course I'm alive.” He finally managed to get out. “This is a dream, remember? None of this is real.”

The dog stopped nuzzling him for a moment to give something between a gasp of realization and a cry of agony.

“This 'is' a dream!” He yelped. “I-I just sort of....forgot, after Muriel...w-when she-” He began to sob once more, overcome by his emotions. “Eustace didn't last much longer either, and then you...right after you promised you wouldn't leave me too, you...”

Computer glanced away, unable to offer any comfort to the dog. This scene was inevitable. By saving Courage's life, he knew all too well that he was dooming him to this. But what else could he do? Muriel and Eustace were old and nearing the end of their life. He too was on a clock that was slowly winding down. There was nothing he could do except let Courage die with them, and he would never allow that.

The anguished pup buried his muzzle into his chest. “Why is the inside of my head so horrible?” His weak, muffled voice asked.

“Welcome to my world.” He joked, placing a paw onto his friend's back. “I think this place exists solely to torment.”

Courage looked up at him again. He was always so surprised to see how much warmth that dog's eyes held, even when he were upset. He really was an overgrown fuzzball made out of nothing but blind affection.

“I'm so glad you're okay.” He whimpered.

Sighing, he glanced away again. Even now he could hardly believe that Courage cared this much about him. He'd never understand what he had done to deserve such devotion from him. He was not Muriel, not by any stretch of the imagination, and yet Courage obviously cared about him as much as he did for her. It didn't make any sense.

“Courage?” He gently spoke. “Maybe it would be better if we didn't go looking for that wellspring.”

The dog's eyes widened. “W-what?”

“We're all on the verge of death in our own ways. You, me, Muriel, and Eustace. If you're cured of your illness, who knows how much longer you'd live. Unfortunately, it's a fact that you're going to outlive the rest of us if you do decide to cure yourself. This scene will play out someday, whether you like it or not.”

Courage began to tremble. “I-I don't want to die.” He whimpered. “I don't want any of you to die either.”

“Wouldn't you rather face death with your family than live knowing that you'd be all alone?”

“I'm not going to be alone because I'm going to find a way to save you too!” He shouted, vigorously shaking his head.

“Oh, Courage.” He sighed, running a paw down his face. “All things end. Nothing will ever last forever. I think I'm beginning to understand why you feel the way that you do. You're afraid of your life changing, but it can't be avoided forever. If our rolls were reversed, I'd take death over being left alone again. I'd never want to go back to that.”

Courage had begun to sob inconsolably once more. “I'm scared....” He whimpered.

Computer couldn't help but laugh. “When are you not, my dear friend?”

“I don't want to die!” He sobbed. “I don't want to die! I-I'm so scared!”

“It'll be alright, Courage.” He tried to console him. “Dying really isn't as horrible as it might seem. You already know that I've experienced it several times now and it's not all that bad. It's somewhat unpleasant, but-” He stopped himself from continuing. The sensation of his system collapsing along with the eventual revival that followed whenever 'He' had killed him had always been a horrifying experience to go through. He wasn't being truthful with the dog and yet....

The poor pup had only begun to tremble even harder. “You're the one who says that it's like slipping into a deep, endless dark! I don't want to find out what it's like! I want to keep living with you and the rest of my family! I want things to stay the way they're supposed to be!”

“Listen, Courage. I'm one misstep away from my system completely collapsing. When the time comes, we could,” He rubbed the back of his head, trying to figure out a way to say this without sounding completely sappy. “You know, go together? If you decide to give up looking for that wellspring, and when your illness finally runs its course, all I'd have to do is remove a few lines of code and that would be the end of me too. You wouldn't have to face the end alone and I wouldn't have to go back to living a hapless existence.”

“I don't want that!” Courage sobbed. “I just don't!”

“Look,” He spoke, getting back up onto his feet. “It's obvious that you're in no condition to be making decisions right now.” He placed an arm across his distraught friend's shoulders and helped him over to the bed. “I want you to stay here while I go looking for that hobo. Don't worry, I'll be sure to punch him a few times for you. While I do that, promise me you'll think about what I said? Whether or not we go to that mountain is your choice to make. I'll support whatever you want to do. Just make sure that you don't have any lingering doubts when you do make your choice.”

“Wait!” The pup cried out, grabbing him by the arm and clinging to it like his life depended upon it. “Please don't go!” He begged.

“We're never going to get out of here if we don't find that hobo. Just stay put. I'm sure it won't take me that long to find and murder a homeless person.”

The dog's eye were wide, desperate, and pleading. “What if you don't come back?” He whimpered.

“Why wouldn't I?” He asked, placing his single free paw onto his hip. Regardless, he couldn't stop his gaze from briefly wandering over to where his dead, dream-self lay. “Hmm, maybe I should have you wait for me downstairs instead.”

The dog still had an iron grip on his arm so it wasn't very difficult to get him to move. He seemed wary as they left the attic and made their way down the dusty, gray hall. His eyes darted about from one thing to next, as though he were expecting a bunch of ghosts to pop out of the walls.

“Are you going to be alright?” Computer asked him. He couldn't stop himself from glancing backwards every few seconds to make sure that the dog was really still there. Even if he still had his arm in a death grip, one could never be too careful in a place like this.

Courage offered him a nod, but that was it. He seemed more like a dusty ghost himself than anything else.

Upon reaching the living room, he urged his sorrowful friend over to Eustace's chair and helped him up onto it.

“Stay here, alright?” He commanded. “I'll be back as soon as possible. For now I'm just going to go look around the farm and see if that homeless idiot decided to take up residence in the barn or the chicken coop.”

Courage just continued to stare at him with those big, terrified eyes.

“Please, dog? There's no reason to be so upset. I know that you were tricked into thinking this all was real, but it's not. I certainly know how you feel, but one of us has to keep going if we're ever going to get out of this nightmare.”

Courage made a soft sound in his throat, laid his head down onto the chair, and then curled up into a ball.

“Come on, dog...” He gently muttered, his ears drooping.

He wanted to take him along, but at this point he'd be stuck dragging him everywhere. Courage was clearly out of commission for the time being and he just couldn't risk taking him along while he were in  such a state.

Weak sobbing began to emanate from the pink ball once more. Computer's dismay only grew at such a sight. With a sigh, he relented.

“Alright, I'll stay with you for a little while longer, but after that I'm going to go look for the hobo.”

Courage uncurled himself and stared down at him with those big, desperate eyes. “Really?”

Climbing up onto the chair, he joined his friend at his side. “Anything for my dear friend.”

The dog once again nearly crushed him in a hug. “Thanks, Compute.” His trembling voice murmured.

“I'm only doing for you what you've already done for me.” He replied, and, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, also added, “Oh, and, dog? I just want to make sure you know that I, um, well, you know...”

This got the first smile out of Courage since they had entered the Dreamworld. The pup gave him a quick nuzzle and then repeated what he had said before,

“Thanks, Compute.”

Well, he honestly didn't mind being held up anyway. This was simply giving him more time to think about all the ways he could eviscerate a hobo....  

End Of Chapter