All Things End: Part 71

A/N: I'm back to fixing up old chapters of this fic (John R. Dilworth might read this, MUST BE PERFECTION! *Panic*) and I've really noticed how much I've improved. Here I was thinking I'm just as bad as I was when I first started on this but apparently I'm not. Of course, I'm still pretty bad though but at least it's nice to know that I'm not as terrible as I was.

Chapter 71: When All You Have Is A Knife

"It's no use!" Courage cried out from atop Computer's own shoulders. "We'd need like ten more of us if we were to climb out of here!"

"That's nice and all but can you please stop stepping all over me? It's breaking my back!" Computer yelled.

Courage jumped down and sighed. "We aren't going to get out of the hole like this. You don't think that maybe the dark dog is trying to starve us out or something? Can you even starve in a dream?"

Computer shook his head. "Listen, I had no idea that things where this bad on the inside. I admit, I was worried that this was exactly what my mind might look like but I had no idea that it really did."

"Come on, Compute. After all this time do you really think it bothers me?"

His ears drooped. "I suppose not..."

"I'm sure this can all be fixed eventually."

"I doubt that." Computer sighed.

"Well it isn't going to get any better if you keep thinking like that!" Courage replied. "This isn't something you can fix overnight. It's going to take time. Trust me! Eventually you'll start to see an improvement if you really work at it."

Computer's eyes scanned the garbage. He didn't look convinced. "I really hope you're right..."

"Don't look so glum. You're going to give this place the advantage if you keep being so down in the dumps...literally."

Computer glared at him. "You've been waiting for a chance to say that, haven't you?"

"Hmhm!" He forced himself not to smile.

Computer placed a paw up against his temple. "Unless we're planning on staying stuck down here forever the only other thing I can think of is that maybe we could make our own way out."

"A ladder?"

"I don't know how well it would work given how keen this garbage is to falling apart and fighting our every attempts to make something useful out of it, but..."

"We have to try!" Courage replied, reaching down and picking up the first thing he could find.

Computer walked over to where that shining, almost evil looking blade still sat. He picked it up and looked it over. "Something's awfully strange about this thing. I can't quite figure out what but..."

He was stopped as a low rumble echoed through the darkness. Courage stood up and gave him a wary glance. He dropped the knife back onto the floor but the rumbling did not stop.

"What now?" He groaned, giving Courage a less than enthusiastic look. "I'm tired of dealing with all this crazy nons..."

The floor began to shake, knocking them both off their feet. Courage remembered how the garbage had turned into a wavy sea before and if that happened again while they were in this hole, well, they'd be crushed!

"Get close to me!" Computer ordered but Courage was having enough of a hard time not shaking around with garbage as is.

"We need to find something that can..." The machine started but then the floor gave out from underneath them and they were suddenly falling.

Through the void they went, garbage joining them in their flight to the bottom. Courage couldn't even muster up the desire to scream, he just wanted this to be over with. A large piece of garbage zipped past him and his eyes widened as he realized it was on a collision course with Computer.

"Look out!" He cried.

Computer was not amused by the big piece of metal making its way over to him. "You have got to be kidding m..."

WHAM

The piece of garbage knocked him out cold. He continued to flail around limply in the wind but Courage could do nothing to help him right now. He reached out a few times to grab him but he just couldn't get any closer.

Finally...the ground came rushing up to them. Courage hit the floor with far less force than what would have happened in real life but then a massive chunk of metal came crashing down on top of him and very nearly crushed him. Computer hit the ground not far from him either and thankfully he was left uncrushed despite the garbage raining down on them. Courage tried to pull himself out from under the sheet of metal but he was thoroughly stuck. He couldn't pull the thing off of him without some help and Computer was in no shape to help at the moment.

He looked down at the floor. It was black and rubbery like...

He flinched as the sound of a massive machine starting up bellowed from somewhere from behind him. He craned his neck around to get a better look and nearly screamed. It was a huge trash compactor, big enough to be a real life sky scraper! It's gigantic maw was glowing with an unearthly light and it seemed to be growling as though it were an animal. The black and rubbery thing they were on had to be a conveyor belt!

"Computer! Wake up! I need your help!" He cried out. Everything lurched as the conveyor belt began to move. If he couldn't wake Computer up in time they'd both be crushed...

"Come on! Wake up!" He yelped. He dug his paws into the ground and tried to pull himself out but it was no use.

Computer's face scrunched up in pain and he slowly opened his eyes. He sat up and blinked, looking completely dazed. He pressed a paw up against his head and glanced down at Courage who was still struggling to get free.

"Help!" He screamed.

Computer immediately snapped out of his stupor. He stared up at the massive trash compactor opening and closing like a massive row of teeth and his mouth fell open. His attention returned to Courage and he raced over to try and pull the sheet of metal off of him.

"Don't suppose you know how we got here?" He asked between grit teeth. "My head is pounding and the only thing I remember was that we were falling!"

"No time! Just get this thing off of me!" Courage yelled.

The sound the compactor made with every closing of its great maw shook the conveyor belt. The junk that was being eaten vanished into the blazing throat of that metal monstrosity. Whatever it might do to two dogs wasn't something anyone would want to think about. Computer was continuing to pull at the sheet of metal but it wasn't budging.

"Ya just couldn't go da easy way, could ya?"

They both flinched at the sound of the dark creature's voice. Computer looked around for it but immediately went back to trying to free Courage. The tiny monster could wait...

"And now yer gonna get a front row seat ta watchin' yer pink girlfriend get crushed. I suggest ya take a step back and SIT DOWN!"

The black tar appeared over the edges of the conveyor belt and wrapped itself around Computer's waist like a rope. It pulled him away from Courage and knocked him to the floor. Several more rope-like strands of tar were wrapping themselves around his neck and he tried to pull them away.

Courage pulled at the ground but he couldn't do anything. The maw of the trash compactor was getting dangerously close...

"You...li...li..little..ack!" Computer choked out. More and more strands of tar were holding him down. He couldn't even fight to open his airways anymore, the tar was holding his arms down.

"I thought it would be funny!" The dark creature said. It let up it's attack on Computer and reformed into the dog shape from before. It kept a foot pressed down on his chest as it spoke. "I thought it would be funny ta take control of a, well, whatever ya are, who's already in control of a body that don't belong ta him! And ya just had ta screw that up!"

It's paw turned back into a tar like rope and wrapped it around Computer's neck again. "I gave ya a chance ta go nice and easy and on yer own terms too! Now I'm gonna have ta do it all messy like! Pinkie over dayer is gonna be da one ta go first! When we get back ta da real world yer gonna be da first one I kill! I'm gonna do it with a fork since ya gave me so much trouble! No, no! I'll do it with a spoon! I'll scoop yer eyes out and den I'll..."

It stopped talking. Computer was reaching for something just barely out of his arm's length. The creature's eyes widened with delight. He was reaching for the gleaming, sacrificial blade from before.

"Were ya plannin' on usin' dat on me? Ha! Don't make me laugh! Dis is yer nightmare! Ain't nothin' gonna work out fer ya here!" It kicked the blade off the platform.

Trying to think of something, anything to help Computer, Courage picked up a piece of debris and tossed it at the dark creature. It hit it's head with a disgusting splat.

The dark creatures slowly turned toward him, eyes gleaming. "Wrong move, pinkie..."

It picked Computer up with it's rope-like arms and tossed him over the edge and into the blackness below. It savored the look on Courage's face as Computer went over the edge.

"I don't need ta kill ya myself." The dark creature said as it slowly strode over to him. "I'd say we gots about a minute or two before that compactor crushes you." It bent over so that they were eye to eye. "How bout' I cut yer ears off and watch ya scream? That would be fun! Or how bout' I gouge yer eyes out? Ya wouldn't even know when dat trash compactor hit ya!" It began to laugh.

"Do you're worst!" Courage growled, glaring at it.

"Shoulda just let me mess wit yer friend a little more." It grabbed his neck. "Now I'm gonna make dis so much worse fer ya..."

Splorch!

Courage gasped as dark creature's eyes widened. It turned to reveal the hilt of that sacrificial knife sticking out of the back of it's head. Computer was standing there, panting.

"Oh hey!" He said, glaring at the dark dog. "I kind of forgot to tell you that I'm back!"

"DO YA REALLY THINK DAT'S GONNA WORK?" It's voiced boomed. It momentarily lost it's form and the blade fell through it like liquid. It reformed mere inches away from Computer's face. It looked so angry that Courage had to turn away, fearing whatever it might do to his friend.

"I don't know what yer playin' at but ya might as well give it up! I gave ya yer chance to make dis easy fer all of us and ya messed it up!"

Courage opened his eyes again and was relived to find that the creature hadn't touched Computer yet. The anger in it's face was melting away, literally, and it smiled viciously at Computer who still wasn't backing down in spite of the creature's wrath.

"Since yer being such a big sport about dis." It said in it's silky, smug voice. "I think I'll bow out of dis one. Have fun trying ta save pinkie over dayer. I'd say he's got about a few seconds left. See ya on the other side...pal." And with that, it's form fell away and the tar slid off the platform.

"Computer! Hurry!" Courage yelled. Now that the dark creature was gone this was their last chance! It was right when it said that he only had a few seconds left. The maw of the great trash compactor was nearly over them now.

"Don't worry! I'll get you out of here!" Computer spoke, grabbing the sheet of metal and pushing with all his might. It wouldn't budge...

BANG

A rusty old car behind Courage became the next victim of the trash compactor.

BANG

It would be crushing his toes in mere seconds...

BANG

Computer stopped working at the sheet of metal, his face filling with despair. "I..I don't think I can save you..."

BANG

It was over...the shadow of the massive teeth were looming over them now. The next time it would come down...

"Get out of here." Courage said weakly. "I don't want you to get crushed too..."

Computer shook his head and smiled sadly. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

Courage squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to see the teeth coming down on them...

He heard the sound of the gears bringing the maw of the machine to a close. He felt Computer wrap his arms around his head and...

BEEP

BEEP

BEEP

EMERGENCY SHUT DOWN ACTIVATED

His eyes shot opened and he very nearly passed out. The teeth of the machine were so near to closing that he could have touched it with his nose.

Computer blinked, looking just as stunned as he was. "What the heck just happened?"

"Ahoy down there!"

The hobo from before jumped down onto the conveyor belt from somewhere atop the great machine. He waved happily at the two of them, not seeming to realize they were near inches from a painful death.

"I was just up in this here machine's control panel. Saw this big ol' red button and decided to push it. Guess it was the emergency stop!"

"A...a bum?" Computer asked in complete disbelief.

"He's...a friend." Courage replied, surprised that he could even find his voice.

Computer groaned and slapped his forehead. "That's it! I'm done! I'm going back to bed! Wake me up when this nightmare is over!" He pulled himself out from under the teeth.

"What about me!" Courage cried out.

"Good night!" He replied, waving a paw at him and mustering up just about as much sarcasm as he could manage.

"Come back! Don't leave me here like this!" Courage cried.

His glowing friend rolled his eyes and ducked back under the teeth. The hobo joined him and together they finally managed to pull him out from under the sheet of metal. It was a bit difficult given what little room they had under the metal teeth but Courage didn't question the logic of the dream world when it was him who was stuck under the massive machine.

"Hahaha! Try not to get stuck under big 'ol sheets of metal in a dangerous place like this again, okay?" The hobo laughed, slapping him on the back and nearly knocking the wind out of him.

Computer looked less than amused. "I can't take this anymore! All this craziness is going to be the end of me!"

"What? Ain't you ever seen a hobo before?"

"AUGH! I'm done!" He yelled. "I'm going to go find the nicest broken bed I can find and escape from this insanity! I swear if I had know..."

"AAARRRAAAAAAAHHH!"

A tidal wave of tar very nearly overtook them. The hobo raised an arm as if he were protecting them from it and it seemed to be working. The tar circled them over and over again but did not get any closer.

"Get outta the way, gramps! Dese two are mine!"

"You know, I think it's past someone's bed time." The hobo chimed in.

"GRAH! Don't ya dare talk ta me like that, gramps! I am de embodiment of all subconscious evil! Ya don't have any power over me, old man!"

The hobo looked just as blissfully unaware as ever. "I think the collective unconscious might have something to say about that"

The tar began to back away as if afraid.

"No! I want out! I want ta go back ta da real world!"

"It's time to go to your room, mister!"

"None of ya ever let me have any fun! I'm apart of da subconscious too ya know! One of dese days ya ain't going to stop me!"

The tar backed away completely now, slipping back over the side of the platform and vanishing into the darkness.

The hobo placed finger to his lip. "Hmm, I better make sure he does as I told." He turned to Courage and pointed over at the trash compactor. "Go through the machine and you'll return to the hallway. You have one last lose end to tie, just make sure you tie it right."

"O-okay..." He replied.

The hobo gave him one last salute before taking a running jump and disappearing into the darkness after the tar.

"Well Computer, it looks like this is almost over with." Courage sighed. He waited for what he assumed would be a sarcastic response from his friend but he never got it. "Computer?"

He turned and was shocked to find that his friend was gone. He had just been there a few seconds ago!

"Computer!" He called out. His voice echoed quietly through the void.

Where had he gone?

"COMPUTER!" He cried out even louder this time.

Nothing...

With a heavy sense of loneliness creeping over him from such a dark and scary place, he turned and made his back over to the teeth. He called out to Computer one last time before ducking down and heading into the throat of the machine.

End Of Chapter

A/N: Yes, I probably was subconsciously channeling The Brave Little Toaster when I thought up this scene. God I haven't seen that movie in years. It's probably because of that movie I have such a fascination with anthropomorphic inanimate objects. LOL