Transition

“Matt…I didn’t know you would be killed….forgive me.”
Matt
Matt’s breath came out in puffs, but his lack of cigarettes proved the chill in the air. He looked around for a bit, there was a definite nip in the air he could feel it through the leather gloves.  He spin around in place, getting a feel for his surroundings, the vast nothingness around him was covered in 2 to 3 inches of snow, giving Matt a feeling of emptiness, tininess, and utter loneliness.  Like all of mankind, he looked upwards for the answer, only to be greeted with the sight of stars going nova, and galaxies dying. All in deafening silence, utter silence that drives men to madness.
Just
So
Quiet.
.
Matt roared like a dragon, pretending that the cloud coming from his mouth was fire. The only thing he could think of that could keep him sane, the only thing that would make him laugh and distract him from the truth that was spitting in his face.
He was shot, 37 times, and right now…
He was dead.
And nothing on Heaven and Earth could change it.
Or his heart aching from the sullenness of being alone for all eternity, in this cold bright world (if you could call it that)
It was even more annoying than the meowing in his ear. Wait.
Meowing?   
Matt looked down, half sure that he wouldn’t find a thing and that his mind was already going. But yes as hard as it was to see, there was a tiny, almost kitten sized, grey and white cat at his feet, pawing his boots. Matt was delighted, it wasn’t Mello, but by god it was a companion and that’s all he needed. He bent down to let it sniff at his hand, it deemed him acceptable and jumped into his arms. Matt shivered; the cat was colder than the air around him. He was also shocked at how light it was, it was truly kitten sized with just an adult cat frame.
“Aw, well aren’t you a welcome surprise. I thought I’d have to go through this all on my own, and then I knew I’d be in some kind of hell.” Matt spoke softly to the cat, trying not to scare it. It seemed shaky. Matt shivered again; it was much too cold for his taste.   
Mello
Blonde hair sprawled over the purest of white snow.  Mello flapped his arms and legs, carefully got up and inspected his work. After a moment of scrutiny, he bent down and carved a little halo on the top.  One of his better snow angels, he smirked to himself, how appropriately ironic.
‘Now, with that out of the way, must figure out what this place is and what I’m supposed to do with it.’ Mello thought, a cold chill ran up his spine. It was as if a cold harsh wind hit him dead in the soul, it was crushing.  Mello stuck his hands in his pockets, and began walking in a straight line.
‘It can’t hurt.’ He thought after the idea of him having some sort of post-mortem epiphany crossed his mind.  However a foul odor raped his nostrils. He looked down; some mangy mutt was stinking up the place.
“Back off dog.” Mello hissed at it. The dog was unfazed, however. The dog was too tall to be a beagle, but too small to be a fox hound. The disproportional canine turned and held its leash in its teeth, and gave Mello a look that spoke a thousand words.
Mello scowled, but reluctantly took the leash and patted the dog on the head. Hell, this might be his epiphany. Besides, the company kept him from thinking of his own personal dog. Where was Matt anyway?
Mello’s heart panged with a jolt of guilt. He shut his eyes to fight back the tears that were trying to fight through, it was his fault. It was entirely his fault.
The dog on the ground whimpered at its pseudo master. Mello crouched down and pet it, ignoring the wretched stench of its breath.
“You’re no Matt, mangy mutt.”  He said, all the same even if the dog was about as cold to the touch as the snow, he was happy for company.
After putting up with several minutes of sympathy attention, the dog went to work. It got up from her haunches, and started to pull at the leash, in a dog-to-human communication that’s basically:
‘Hey, dumb two-legged dog, this way!’ She apparently had a low tolerance for wasting time when she had to be doing a job.
“Yeah, yeah -dumb dog- I’m coming.” Mello’s legs started to move, but they felt like spaghetti.  However, when he got to actually walking around, it became easier. The dog kept pulling at her leash and Mello found it hard to fight her.
“Hey, pooch, I’d like my arm to stay in its socket. Thank you.” Mello said holding back the leash with both his arms. The dog stopped, looked back mentally having a one-sided argument with Mello, then turned on her heel and pulled even harder.
‘God the dead are just so reluctant to do anything’ the dog thought her paws crunching in the snow.
After what seemed like a half an hour to Mello, was there time in this place? Mello pondered that thought for a while, no it would be pointless. They came to an orchard of dead trees. The blond thought this place to be even more depressing as the field of absolute nothingness.
The dog took a slower pace sniffing on the ground for a bit. Mello gave a little slack on the leash and watched the hound do her thing. She sniffed then huffed on a certain spot, and pawing at it. She turned her head to Mello as if she were saying…
‘Wait, why am I doing this? This is your job,’ ya dumb two-legged dog.’
Mello got the hint, bent down and dug for a second or two, before his fingers hit something hard. He grabbed hold of the hard thing and a lot of snow. He pulled his hand up and inspected what the hard thing was. His eyes grew wide.
A gold coin.

Matt
Matt smiled at the cat in his arms, a sort of sad, lonely smile. He pat it until it purred, and it meowed gesturing towards the left. Matt got the message.
“As you wish my feline friend,” Matt started walking towards the left.  “I’m not sure why you’re here.” Matt started commenting to the cat. “I was pretty sure all dogs go to heaven, so maybe cats didn’t.” Matt was still in denial, even with the cat, it was still lonely. So lonely, he missed Mello. He wondered where he was. Did he know he’d died? Did he just find out? He wanted  to see what he was doing at this very second.
The cat meowed incredulously.
“All right all right I get it. Cat’s go to heaven, but what about the gerbils?” He asked. The cat huffed in frustration and jumped out of his arms. “What? What did I say? Was it the gerbil thing?” Matt asked a small smirk forming on his features. Smiling felt so weird, like his face was like gel, Matt grabbed at his cheek and started pulling. “Aaaahhhaha.” He said pulling at his mouth, making silly faces.
“Meeoow.” The Cat moaned, getting mad at the snow under its paws for being so cold. It was relived (after an hour or two: body time) to reach The Tree.
The Tree shocked Matt. It was as if-in this world of death and destruction- that it still had growing to do, it’s long branches held green-brown leaves. The cat kept going, like it had a battle to get through, and stopped at the base of The Tree and sat down in true drama queen fashion.  Matt was curios, and walked over towards the feline. It looked at a root that shot up from the cold white. The root didn’t so much shock Matt as the trawl next to it. The cat gestured to the trawl.
“Once again my feline master I will follow your orders till death.” As he took the shrink-dinked shovel he thought that last comment ironic. The cat pawed at the area around a small sprout that shot up from the tree. Matt dug around the seedling and pulled it gently holding it as if it were a baby.  Which perplexed Matt; this was death, in its purest. What was a seedling- a baby meant to grow and live- doing in a world where death ruled?
Mello
“What am I supposed to do with a gold coin?” Mello asked, a slight attitude to his voice; death can do that to you. The dog looked at him in a way that was just  ‘Shut up, I need to do my job.’ Mello followed orders and grasped hold of the leash.
“Take me away, my canine commander.” He said with a sigh. God damn it he missed Matt. He felt so guilty; it’s a soul eating feeling.
They kept their pace, stopping once so that the dog could giver herself a quick –and very selective, mind you- bath. But Mello was dozed; he really wasn’t paying attention, which is why he was so shocked to find himself standing on the snow bank of a river.
“Dog, why did you take me to a river?” Mello’s voice held a pang of annoyance. The dog wasn’t around. No one was around. It was as if she had disappeared into a puff of smoke.

Matt
Matt took off a glove carefully placed the seedling in there. Carrying it with both hands he followed the cat, letting his mind wander. However, he was brought to full attention when he heard the sound of rushing water.
“Kitty, where is this place?” The snow had splintered like a tree trunk and created a river. Looked to his left, waiting for the cat to meow or paw at him, but it was gone. In the distance, down the river, Matt saw the form of his feline friend walk down and disappear.  Matt’s eyes welled; the last thing he wanted was to be alone for eternity. Falling to his knees he dipped his fingertips in the water, his face contorted into confusion; it didn’t feel like water.  
Matt lowered his palm into the river, lifting it up, the contents flowing out of his fingers was smoke. He pulled his hand back scouring it, making sure no damage was done. His other hand dug, instinctively, in his pocket for his other glove.
“Oh yeah,” He thought aloud, “The sprout.” Matt pulled the delicate vegetation from his glove and dipped the tips of its roots into the river. Its brown tainted leaved became a vibrant green.
“In Rome they’d burry you with a gold coin in your mouth. So that when you reached the Styx river, you could pay Pluto and get across.” Matt repeated the words of an old teacher he had. Slowly he let the entire sprout into the river, and let go. He watched it float down and whispered his good bye to it. Matt, feeling as if he paid his debt got off, brushed the cold white powder off of himself and crossed.
Mello
“It’s a bonus question on the test. Remember this: they would bury you with a coin in your mouth so you could pay your way to the afterlife.” Mello quoted. He pulled the coin out of his pocket and tossed it in. Confidently, he tried crossing. But the river spit him back to the side he came from. He looked down angrily at it. But his ears perked at something.
“Please, help me.” Mello looked to where the voice was coming from. He was surprised at what he saw. A gargantuan man was beckoning him. He was tied up excluding one arm, and was lying next to a basket of fruit on a hill and the river. Mello, despite himself, walked toward the giant.
“Please, please help!” The giant called, noticing Mello walking towards him.
“What exactly do you need help with?” Mello yelled back as he got closer.
“I’m starving, sir, and the basket is too far from my reach. I also thirst and the river is just at my finger tips.” The huge being spoke, in a booming voice.  “Please could you help me.”
Mello thought a moment. “Only if I get something in return.”
“Anything, sir.”
“The river wouldn’t let me cross. So, if I help you could you help me cross the river.”
“Yes, of course, sir. Please just hand me a fruit.”
“Won’t you get hungry later?”
“Well yes…. But the fruit will make it better.” The Gargantuan said dumbly. Mello stopped for a moment, mid walk towards the basket. “S-sir? Aren’t you going to help?” Mello resumed his walk and walked right by the basket. The giant let out a worried sound. Mello started pushing on the basket , it was way heavier than he expected. Though, his efforts were repaid and the basket slidd towards the gargantuan. Happily, he reached out and just as the tip of his finger barely touched the edge of the wicker; his arm shortened.

"No!! This is hopeless!" Huge tears fell from the now lopsided giant. Mello thought a short while. He reached a lean limb into the basket and retrieved a pear.

"Now, I just want you to touch it, so I can se--" Mello was interrupted as his body cringed. The giant, in all his excitement, had taken Mello's arm into his mouth. The expert tongue found what it wanted and let the captive appendage go.

"DON'T YOU DARE DO THAT EVER AGAIN OR I'LL LET YOU STARVE!!" Mello, absolutely livid at the giant, screamed. All the same, no adverse effects were placed on the gargantuan which lessened the blow. "This time," Mello spoke again, swallowing his anger. "Listen to me."

"Yes, sir! I will, sir!" The giant nodded vigorously. Like a bored teenager on Halloween, Mello tipped over the basket; its contents spilling towards the giant.

"Just reach for a fruit, and don't eat it!" The giant did as he was told.

"Sir, nothing is happening."

"That's what I wanted to happen." Mello got up and the giant stuffed his face. "How do I cross the river?" Mello asked, brushing himself off and pulling his hood over his head.

"You should be able to cross." The giant said with his mouthful,

After walking and getting half way to the river, Mello turned back to the giant. "Thanks." He said sincerely.

"After you cross, you should find him soon." The giant said as the blond walked through his arch nemesis.

____________________________________________________________

When they met, the snow melted, they smiled like they smiled for the first time. It was...warm. Warm, like they haven't felt in eternity. When their eyes lit up, and they embraced, truly embraced, when they kissed, a real kiss, feeling the other's heat, it was like spring. They cared of nothing other than they were there.

It wasn't hell

Nor was it heaven

But it was all they needed.