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A World Without Bert Raccoon 2

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THE EVERGREEN CHRONICLES

By JENNY-87

The Raccoons © Evergreen Raccoons Marketing Inc
Super Snooper @ Hanna-Barbera
Harriet Snooper, Alphonse Snooper, Jenny Snooper, Angel Snooper, Farrell Labrador, Harry Shorthair, Thomas and Mary Labrador, Ellen Shorthair, E.T.C @ Me
Alicia, Melanie & Zoza © Alicia Martin
Stephen Fox @ Sricketts14381
Valentina Vixen @ CartoonprincessML
Hillary Hyena and Ronald Smutt Jr. @ Jose-Ramiro
Rita and Runt Smutt @ Warner Bros.
Michelle Raccoon © Michelleraccoon

Chapter 2

Angelia took Bert to the alternate future. Once they arrived, Bert noticed something different about the Evergreen Forest--all the trees were cut down, and in their place were tall buildings, roads, and factories. It looked more like a big city than the forest he knew and loved. Angelia said, "Take a look down there, Bert. What do you see?"

"The Evergreen Forest," replied Bert. "Only that it's not a forest any more."

"Correct. Long ago, you banded together with Ralph and Melissa to stop Cyril Sneer from cutting down all the trees in the forest. But since you don't exist, Cyril has had his way--the trees are gone and the Evergreen Forest has been transformed into a large metropolitian area, overflowing with smog, pollution, traffic, and organized crime."

"Gosh...this is terrible...that's not the Evergreen Forest I know!"

She then took him to one of the apartment buildings in the city. Peering into the window, they saw a male raccoon sitting on the couch. He was wearing a tattered and worn white scarf, his eyes were sagging, and he had a five o'clock shadow on his face. Bert asked, "Hey, isn't that Ralph?"

"Yep, that's him," answered Angelia. "In a world without you, he's still a lonely man. He is pining away for Melissa--she's now married to world-famous aviator Troy Malone, and so poor Ralph is left in the dark. After all, it was you who encouraged him to talk to her; that first encounter with her could've led them to fall in love and get married, but since you are never born..."

"I know."

Angelia then led him to the Sneer Mansion. There, Cyril was much more richer than ever before, while Cedric and Sophia were stuck at the desk typing on typewiters. The pigs and their wives were different, too--they were as wealthy as Cyril was, and fully enjoying it. Angelia said, "In this alternate future, Cyril is the mayor of the city he just built over the remains of the Evergreen Forest. He has given the pigs a higher raise, elevating them to the same status he is in, while his son and his girlfriend are mere slaves helping to propogate his governement and finances. Had you lived, none of this would happen."

She took him to another city. Bert said, "Hey, that's where Lisa and Bentley used to live!"

"Yes...but their lives are different since you never existed..."

She showed him the house where George, Nicole, and Bentley were all sitting at the dining room table, eating dinner and looking miserable. She continued, "Without you, George would still keep his job as the chef in a restaurant, Nicole would still be jobless, and Bentley...oh, dear, it seems he'll never be able to stand up against those bullies without you around."

Bert said, "I can tell, 'cause he's got a blackeye. What happened to Lisa?"

"Oh, you wouldn't want to know..."

"But I DO want to know!"

"Fine, I'll tell you...she's married."

"To who?"

"To Curtis, her old high school boyfriend. And they have a daughter named Jody."

"Hey! That's my daughter's name!"

"True, but if you had lived, she would've been your child. Now let me show you your mom's alternate future."

Angelia took him to Molly Raccoon's house in Metropolis. There they viewed Molly, poor and without any new clothes, looking at a picture of her husband and sighing mournfully. "Having you in her life brought her so much joy, but without you her joy has quickly turned into sorrow. Her husband died in a car crash, leaving her alone and childless...and her bridal shop business had failed, leaving her broke and without any money to help pay for her rent, and soon she'll be thrown out of the house."

"Awww, poor Mom," muttered Bert. "I wish I could help. But what about our other friends? You know..."

"Angel Snooper and her family? Of course. Their alternate future definitely has no happy ending. Wanna know why? Follow me."

Soon, they were teleported to Angel's old hometown. Bert looked around him--the houses and buildings in the suburbs were all decorated in black, and the banners hanging above him were also black, with the words in embroidered gold saying "In Memory Of Angel Snooper". Bert asked, "Huh...? W-what's going on? Did somebody in her family die?"

Without saying a word, Angelia led him to a funeral procession taking place, leading all the way to the church. Everybody was dressed in black and looking sad and somber. And Snooper, Jenny, Alphonse, Harriet, Harry, Thomas, Mary, Ellen, and all four sides of the Snooper, Labrador, Silverfur, and Shorthair families were there. Bert walked over to the grieving Snooper and whispered, "Psst! Snoop? Whose funeral is this?"

Angelia pulled him back and whispered harshly, "Bert! Aren't you forgetting something? In this alternate future, nobody--not even your friends--can hear or see you. You're invisable! You were never born!"

"Okay! Okay, I get it."

"Thank you. Now, if you really wanna know whose funeral it is, look in the coffin."

Bert looked inside the coffin and gasped in shock. It was Angel! He stammered, "A-Angel? This is HER funeral?!"

"When Angel decided to follow her mom and dad to the Evergreen Forest when they got a letter from Ralph and Melissa, she postponed her plans for the cross-country train trip to a boxing tournament in Atlanta. But because you weren't born, she chose to remain here and on this day she became one of the 2,000 victims of the most tragic train accident in history. With that, she left behind those who were close to her to mourn her loss--her parents, her grandparents, her husband, her children, and her childhood friends..."

"Wasn't Ralph supposed to send them the letter?"

"He could, but he's so depressed that he wouldn't even think of inviting his pen pals to come live in the forest. He would've had a lot of confidence to do so if Melissa was by his side."

"But what about Stephen and Valentina? And Michelle? And Hillary and Ron?"

Angelia shrugged. She replied, "I'm not sure what would happen to them, but nevertheless they never came to live in the forest, because you don't exist! Bert, I understand your day is ruined just because your friends blame you for the things you did, but the one thing they would NEVER do is forget your birthday. Your friends DO need you, and they would never know what to do if you weren't around for the good and bad times they've been through. So now you have a choice--you can be content with the life you live and be forgiven by your buddies, or you can disappear and watch your family and friends' futures get thrown out the window. Which do you prefer?"

Bert thought about it for a while. He has certainly learned his lesson--life in the Evergreen Forest (and the whole world) would never be the same if he chose not to be alive. He shouted, "I want to live! Angelia, I WANT TO LIVE! NOW TAKE ME BACK HOME!!!"

Angelia nodded and said, "Well, if it's what you want, then..." snapped her fingers, summoning a whirlwind to carry Bert away back to the present day. It carried him farther and farther away...until he ended up back on the bench.
In this chapter, Angelia shows Bert what the world and the lives of those in it would be like if he were never born.

Next Chapter: Bert goes back to apologize to his friends and learns that life is never good if you wish your friends are better off without you.
Comments13
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JDayton's avatar
I was looking for this. Like I said, this and the story Twas a wonderful life by Goodcaptainclack aka Ralph JR on fanfiction, as well as Cedric's wonderful life on fanfiction by Erin T. Aardvark are the reason I made mine about a world without Ralph. Well done.