Mattimeo: the Alternative Ending (author: Sabreleopard).
This fanfic was written for me by Sabreleopard, please, see his gallery.
Illustration by Sabreleopard
The Kingdom of Malkariss was gone. So were the last remnants of old Loamhedge. Sunk deeper beneath the earth, the jumble of stones that had once been planned as an underground realm was blocked forever to the eyes of everybeast, choked and cemented in its deep grave by rocks, shale, soil and roots.
Matthias looked up to the rim of the crater, where the trees leaned at odd angles in the sunken copse, and brown and black soil showed through the riven cracks in the grassy carpet. wearily he sheathed the sword across his shoulders and turned to his followers. He cried, "Follow me to Redwall!" The creatures he freed from Malkariss cheered for him and Redwall and started their treck. Meanwhile, a few feet a way, behind a tree, there was Vitch, spying on them and sneering at them. Though he was one of Slagar's slavers, the fox betrayed the young puny rat and made him a slave for Malkariss. Though he too was free from slavery, Vitch was anything but grateful for Matthias and his friends. He muttered a threat to himself. "I'll get you all yet one day! I'll get you all!"
They were halfway up the steep hill when Vitch made a bolt. He dashed downhill, crossed the depression and began climbing the other side. Mattimeo had not forgotten what Vitch did to him and his friends when Slagar kidnapped them as slaves. Mattimeo even knew that the rat was the reason why they were in that fix in the first place when Vitch was spying. Mattimeo started to pursue him, but his father held him back. "Mattimeo, wait! Let him go, son. Be kind and victorious. He has no place among honest woodlanders."
Mattimeo stopped and knew his father was right. They were free at last and are going home. Vitch doesn't want anything to do with them. He was not worth it. Mattimeo looked on at the rat. Mattimeo then felt something he wasn't supposed to feel for Vitch. He felt sympathy for him. Vitch was probably his age and Vitch may not had a mom or dad to take care of him like he has. Now Vitch is out here by himself, to fend for himself. Mattimeo and Vitch may hate each other, but Mattimeo somehow wishes Vitch to find peace.
They stood for a moment and watched the small rat scramble over a large boulder half embedded in the hillside. Suddenly Vitch screamed and began scrambling back on to the boulder, holding both paws up pleadingly. "No, no, please. I never told them anything. I wasn't going with them. they found me!" The silken mask and cloak appeared in view. The masked one growled as a whirling sound was made as the metal-ended bolas hissed through the air. "Worthless little rat! There is no use running for Slagar NEVER misses!" He laughed as he tossed the bolas through the air, directly at the fleeing young rat! Mattimeo watched in horror. Since he was kidnapped by the fox, Mattimeo saw suffering, pain, and death, all caused by Slagar, too many times. He didn't want to see another creature die in Slagar's hand, even if it's someone he hated so much! He must do something about it.
Mattimeo ran as fast as lighting to where Victh is running. Matthias watched as he cried for his son. "Mattimeo, wait!" But there was no stopping the young mouse. At an instant, Mattimeo jumped as far as he could to reach Vitch and pushed the rat out of the way as the bolas hissed by. Everyone was shocked by this, even Slagar! The fox never missed his target, until now. He was furious. "You meddling little brat! How dare you ruin my shot!" Mattimeo got up, with Vitch watching in astonishment and confusion, and confront the fox. "Go and pick on someone your own size!" Slagar challenged the mouse, drawing a spare set of bolas ready. "Oh, you mean like you?!" Mattimeo and Vitch stood still and watch as the fox closes in on them when Matthias gets between the young pair and the masked one. "Slagar!" The fox notices this and seeks his chance. "Matthias! My, my, usually it's kill two birds with one stone. Well three birds are better than one!" Matthias draws his sword in ready formation with a stern growl. "Go away while you can, fox. Leave us all alone, Slagar!" Slager growled back as he aims for his revenge. "No I can't do that. You see, you took away and destroyed everything I had! I'm just returning the favor!" With a evil grin, Slagar releases his bolas at the two mice and rat. But before they made their mark, the bolas were chopped into three pieces in the air by an ax that came out of no where. It was Orlando the Axe, standing by Matthias and he point his axe at the fox as he snarled. "You! You will pay for what you did to our friends and families by the blades of the sword and my axe!" The Fox realized he was outnumbered and out-gunned and made a retreat, while Matthias and Orlando hot on his trail. Foam flecked wildly from Orlando's mouth and Matthias clenched his teeth as they brandished their weapons and ran after Slagar.
While Matthias and Orlando chase Slagar with the others, except Mattimeo's friends and Cheek, follow them, Mattimeo turned to Vitch, only to see that Vitch was shocked and surprised at what Mattimeo did. Vitch stared at the mouse with his mouth gaped and his eyes widen. Vitch uttered one question. "Why? Why did you do that?! You could've got killed! After what I did to you, why?" Before Mattimeo could answer, Vitch turned and gasp in fear as Mattimeo's friends closes in on the rat and they were not very happy to see him. In fact, they look like they were ready for revenge. Tess darkly pointed out Vitch's treachery. "Mattimeo was right about you all along! We should never have taken you in Redwall and trusted you! You really are a rat in mouse's clothing!" Vitch plead for mercy. "No, please! Mercy! Don't do this to me! It was Slagar! He made me do it! Spare me, please!" Auma growled and glared at the young rat. "Why should we? You help Slager kidnap us from our homes and families. You treated us like dirt and put us in slavery. You tortured us. You made our lives miserable!" Sam announced Vitch's crimes and a hint of his punishment. "We took you in Redwall and cared for you and this is why you repay us! You caused trouble for Mattimeo and the rest of us, spied on us for Slagar, helped him kidnap us and kill some of our own, treated us like slaves, tortured us, and were just an arrogant jackal this whole time! Now you are going to get what you deserve and it won’t be pretty! Cheek, give me your stick please." Cheek the otter handed the squirrel his staff while commenting to Vitch. "See ya and never want to be ya, mate." With the staff in both of his paws, Sam prepares to strike the rat. "In fact, you will pay for what you have done to us by having us do to you like what you did to us when we were slaves!" But before the young redwallers could attack the rat, Mattimeo steps in and shouts. "Stop! Everybody, stop at once! Please leave him alone, he's not worth it!" Everybody was shocked and surprised at him, but they do so anyway, but not without question. Tess and Sam were confused and wanted to know what's with their friend.
"Matti, that rat was working for Slagar and kidnapped us! He's your enemy!"
"You're protecting Vitch after what he did to you and us! He hates us!"
Mattimeo had to answer. "I know, but I saved him because I'm tired of the pain and death Slagar caused and I didn't want to see another creature suffer and die, even if it's somebeast like Vitch. Besides he's just a kid like us" Mattimeo's friends then looked and then decided that Mattimeo might have a point after all. Vitch is a young beast like them and he too was a slave. So the young redwallers decide to stop and back off from the young rat. After all, it was all Slagar's fault.
But Vitch could not understand it and again he asked. "But why? I spied on you and everyone at Redwall, I helped Slagar kidnap you, I treated you and your friends like slaves, I tormented you. I thought and knew you hated me! I had Slagar scar you for life!" Mattimeo tried his best to further his point. "That's the point, scars heal." Vitch spat darkly. "No they don't! Wounds heal!" Mattimeo then questioned the small rat. "Alright fine. Then what do scars do?" Vitch hissed back. "How should I know? I don't care what scars do!" Mattimeo felt more sympathy for Vitch. "You should care. You got to let it go, Vitch! You are free now. You are free to make your decision and choose your own path." But Vitch wasn't about to let it go. "You can't do that to me! I tormented you! I caused you all this trouble! I'M YOUR ENEMY!" Mattimeo will hear none of it. Suddenly he saw something, something that fell from Slagar's pocket. He picked it up and saw what was inside there. Vitch caught sight of the small bag and demanded for Mattimeo to hand it over. "Well, what are you waiting for? Give it to me!" Mattimeo willingly handed it over to the young rat. "You want it? Here, all you had to do was ask." Vitch was then shocked and confused. "What?! What are you doing...?" Mattimeo then made his piece. "This is what we do in Redwall. We show kindness and share!" Vitch opened the bag and in it were little golden coins, somewhat like money that perhaps Slagar gained for his last slaves. Slagar once promised the rat he could be rich one day. Vitch was more shocked. Mattimeo saw this and tried something to cheer him up. "Here, I'll tell you what? Why don't you come back to Redwall with us and we can be friends. What d'ya say?" But Vitch had another idea. "You're right, mouse. I am free to make my decisions and choose my own path. And I choose this. I choose to wonder through the land, alone." Mattimeo and his friends were unsure about it. Mattimeo was concerned. "Are you sure?" Vitch made it official. "Yes, I don't belong to Redwall. I am not among you woodlanders. So it's best if I don't go back with you lot. And be warned, mouse, because this will continue when we meet again!" Then Mattimeo answers to Vitch's vow to show he'll be ready. "Then you better watch yourself when we meet again, for if you're not careful, your life is mine!" As Vitch is about to leave, he turns to Mattimeo one last time. "Maybe it will, maybe it will not. By the way, Thank you mouse and good bye!" With that, he ran off into the distance until he could be seen no more.
Mattimeo felt bad for Vitch. If he was a more good creature to Vitch, the rat wouldn't want to leave. Tess and Sam caught on to Mattimeo's mood and comfort him.
"It's ok, Mattimeo. What you did and said was truly wise and what a real warrior would do. Don't worry about Vitch, he's not used to it."
"Don't worry Matti, you said wise words and did the right thing. I told you that you really are a warrior."
With that, Tess pecked a kiss on Mattimeo's cheek, which Mattimeo responded to with blushes. Mattimeo then lead his friends to the others when his father and the others came back to join. As they leave, with the news that Slagar fell to his death, Mattimeo turns to where Vitch ran off and whispers Vitch good luck. It was time for Mattimeo and Vitch to let it go, to put the past behind them.
Vitch was still confused about what Mattimeo done for him. That mouse was kind and merciful to him. The small rat would not understand. However, there was something that bothered him. Before the encounter with Redwall, Vitch was a free beast. He had a mother and a nice home. He loved his mother very much. They lived in peace but it all changed when Slagar came and took it all away from him, even killing his mother in the process. It was then Vitch had to swear his loyalty to the fox. He missed his mother so much! Mattimeo's kindness reminded him of his mother. It was because the only beast that was kind to Vitch was his mother. Vitch uttered a conservation with his dead mother. "Mom. I can't believe that mouse was so kind! So viciously kind! He saved me and showed me mercy! His kindness, mercy, and forgiveness have all hurt me more than any weapon made. That's because no one was ever kind to me! No one but you, mother. Mother! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I let Slagar kill you then went with him! I was too scared! I couldn't do anything about! Why? Why does all this have to happen to me?!" Then as he stopped by the old well, used as an entrance to Malkariss' Kingdom, he looked at the golden coins and then his mood changed. It was with both grief and anger! "I blame Slagar and THIS for all my troubles! If I stood up and protected Mom, if I ignored that stupid fox's false promises of being rich, if I never crossed paths with those Redwallers, I wouldn't know what it's like to be defeated, betrayed, hated, alone! No more riches! No more Slagar! No more slavery! EVER!"
As the small rat throws the bag of golden coins do the old well, Vitch could hear moaning. He looked and saw it was Slagar. Slagar somehow survived the fall by grabbing on to the rope. The fox was hanging on for dear life. He also moaning for someone to help him. "Help! Anyone, please help!" As he continued, Slagar felt a tug. Someone heard him and was pulling him up. Delight showed on his smile. Once again, Slagar will come with a plan to punish Redwall and its inhabitants. Slagar then tried to help himself up, but then stopped to see a small rat standing in his way. Slagar called as best as he could. "Please help me!" Suddenly a familiar face came into view and jerked closed to the fox's face. the face had an angry look and it look like one of Slagar's slavers. Slagar managed only one word. "Vitch?" The rat then stamp on Slagar's paws off the rope, yelling. "This is for my mother, the beast that you had murdered!" Slagar let go of the rope and is now doomed fall to his death. As he falls he hears the rat, the very small rat he had bullied, betrayed and tried to kill, chanting, though he will never heard his words since his own screams are the only thing he hears. Vitch keeps on chanting. "These are the days of Slagar the Cruel! Slagar the Slaver! The Sly One! Lord of Double-Dealing Lord of Mountebanks! The fox who ruins and takes lives!" Turning his back on the old well, Vitch looks into the distance where he left Mattimeo and his friends and says his piece for the last time before his departure. "As for you, mouse, enjoy your happiness now for it won`t last. Not when we meet again one day." Then Vitch turns and walks into the shadows o the woods. Yes, Vitch did made his promise to take on Mattimeo again one day. But as time passes. No one, not even Mattimeo, has ever saw Vitch again. Who knows what happpend. Maybe like how Mattimeo was married to Tess were married and have a son, Vitch probably has a family of his own too, with a wife and children to care for. Or He could be living alone and perhaps in the way of an honest creature, maybe for once. All we know is that Mattimeo and Vitch never had to worry about each other again.
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