Oh, look! A new fic!
Okay, so I doubt I'll be very good at handling two stories at a time... so... I'm either going to take turns with this one and God of Fear... or I'm gonna just put this out as a trail run and continue just working on God of Fear.
Probably the first one.
This is a fic that I've been working on at school, rather than just typing randomly on a computer!
I think this might be a bit better than God of Fear? But I'm not sure! I'm excited to see how it goes!
Guess I need to mention that I don't own ROTG or the characters or something, right?
Um, I think I'm done now... So enjoy!
A servant with wheat colored hair walked quickly through the castle halls. She didn't want to appear panicked but she was sure everyone she passed was suspicious to what was wrong. Some of them may have even been able to guess. The one thing that caused the most trouble in the entire kingdom- the youngest prince of Heaven, Jack.
Jack was a lively enough boy who enjoyed playing pranks and causing trouble, but he'd never done something as dangerous as this. Jack knew what was at stake. They couldn't risk the people discovering his existence.
After all, he had been born and raised as a secret weapon in a lifelong war. Only a few people in the castle knew about him. If it ever got out and the enemy learned of him, they may retaliate even if it were just a rumor. That's how cruel demons were.
"Ma'am," a voice said from the servant's side. She turned to see one of Jack's older brothers, Bunnymund. "Ya look a bit tense. Havin' trouble?"
Surely Bunny knew that she was one of the servants who attended Jack. It was probably why he even noticed her in the first place. She found this as a blessing. He'd be much more capable to find Jack.
"Your highness!" the servant whispered. She dared not pull him aside to discuss this for fear of looking suspicious, even if it was supposed to be a secret subject. "Prince Jack is not in his room."
Bunny looked surprised only for a moment before it turned to anger. Almost everyone in Heaven knew of Bunny's temper, but no one knew it better than Jack. He was the constant target for his older brother's anger. It was so bad that one would have to wonder if Jack had ever seen him smile.
"I'll find 'im," Bunny growled. "Thanks for tellin' me."
Each of Jack's siblings was unique in some way. What made Bunny different is that he was, in fact, a giant rabbit. And from that, Bunny had a great sense of smell and instincts to match. Even though he got along the worst with Jack, it would be the easiest for Bunny to find him. Then he could go back to ignoring him.
With that in mind, Bunny set off to find his trouble-maker little brother. He searched for him in places he was known to be spotted at. The training grounds, pond out in the garden, and the kitchen all turned out in a bust. If Jack wasn't in any of those places, there was only one other place he could be.
Bunny hurried to a higher part of the castle. Jack's servant may have been discreet, but the same was not said of Bunny. He was on all fours, sprinting as quickly as he could. Now that he knew where Jack was, he was even more determined to give him and earful and lock him back where he belonged.
He finally arrived in front of a golden decorated door. His nose picked up Jack's scent, confirming his suspicions. Shoving open the door, he found Jack sitting comfortably on a chair, drinking tea. Across from him sat their uncle, Sandy, who gave a small wave upon seeing Bunny. Jack, on the other hand, looked absolutely terrified. Good. It was an appropriate reaction to making Bunny run around.
"Heya, Bunny!" Jack greeted in a voice that slightly trembled. "Want a cup of tea?"
"Why aren't you in your room?" Bunny asked angrily.
Sandy looked startled and began wildly moving his hands, explaining he had gone to get Jack so he would have a tea time companion. Jack made no move to defend himself and seemed content with Sandy taking the blame. This infuriated Bunny. Jack was so selfish and incompetent! He could only hide behind others like a child.
"Okay, Sandy, I got it," Bunny said when he continued to defend Jack. "But you know it's dangerous for him to leave his room. What if word got out? What do you think Pitch would do to us?"
Sandy's face fell at the mention of Hell's king. He was extremely dangerous and had a talent for getting information. It would be child's play for him to find out about Jack if anyone on the outside ever learned of him. And then he's stop at nothing to destroy Jack.
"Exactly," Bunny said, grabbing Jack's arm and pulling him up. "The rules are there for a reason. Stop spoiling him!"
"Bunny, you're hurting me," Jack stated softly. He was ignored by his brother. "Bunny, please."
Sandy signed something about how Jack was family, not an enemy, and he shouldn't be treated as a prisoner. Jack would've been touched had he noticed but he was too busy trying to pull away from Bunny. It wasn't until he heard his brother's reply that he looked up.
"He's not family!" Bunny shouted in fury. "He's a demon! He has no place in this castle! He has no place in Heaven! If we couldn't use him, he'd been banished with Mother long ago!"
By now, tears stung Jack's eyes. He had begun to slump, only being held up by Bunny's grip. Sandy matched Bunny's anger, but rather than being angry by Jack, he was angry at Bunny's words. He signed that he disagreed and enjoyed Jack's company. He didn't think of Jack as a demon; he was one of the kindest spirits in Heaven. Just because his origin was a little different shouldn't matter. He was born there, raised there, and lived there just like everyone else. Blood did not make family.
Jack's tears had turned from sadness to gratefulness. Sandy had always believed in Jack, no matter who was up against him. The king, his brothers, the servants, they all had to go through Sandy to get to Jack. And for that, though it might have seemed unfair, Jack loved Sandy much more than anyone else.
"Everyone knows yer view of the monster," Bunny growled. "And I may not 'ave the power to forbid ya from seein' Jack… But 'm sure father's not far off since ya continue this childishness."
Sandy's face became twisted in fear. Not for himself, but for Jack. While most people were kind enough to him, they really didn't care much for him. Without Sandy, Jack would truly be alone. The boy was so fun loving and social; Sandy could only guess what that would do to him. Locked away, with no one to talk to…
Sandy looked to Jack now, signing to him that he would talk to the king about this. He wouldn't let Jack be alone. He knew how special Jack was, even without the knowledge that he'd bring Hell to its knees. Jack was so much more that a weapon. He told Jack that he loved him, and bid a good day to Bunny.
Jack's brother took that as permission to leave and drug Jack out of the room. Even in his rage, Bunny paused when he remembered he couldn't just tug Jack through the castle. Nosy people would wonder who he was and begin spreading rumors about him. It was more of a risk than they could take.
Bunny realized Sandy must've used his sleep magic to get Jack up to his room. He had to have, with Jack not allowed to use his magic. Bunny would just have to do the same.
Gritting his teeth, he announced his plan to Jack. "We're taking my tunnels."
Jack looked startled, as he should have. He'd not been in Bunny's tunnels since they were young. That was just before Bunny learned that he and Jack didn't share a father. That was just before Bunny learned that Jack carried the blood of a demon in him. Since then, the very mention of Jack infuriated him.
To Bunny, it meant their mother had betrayed the king. It meant the banishment he at first thought to be cruel and without reason was now just. It meant that Jack deserved even worse. Bunny thought of Jack as an unholy abomination that belong in Hell, with Jack's "true" family. For Jack shared no blood with any of his siblings other than Bunny. And that knowledge made him sick.
"Are you sure?" Jack asked quickly. "You hate me in your tunnels."
"I hate anyone in ma tunnels," Bunny corrected. Then he growled, "But ya haven't left me with much of a choice!"
Jack began to shrink back, but didn't get very far because Bunny grabbed him and threw him onto his back, Jack was startled by the feeling of fur underneath him. He hadn't been able to touch Bunny for a very long time. For a moment, it made him miss when he was allowed to climb on top of his brother to pet him or curl up in his warmth for a nap. They used to be so close…
It seemed Bunny thought the same as he gave pause. Shaking himself out of the nostalgia, he made sure Jack was secure on his back before tapping his foot on the floor. A hole opened under them and Bunny jumped in. Bunny's tunnels were always warm and full of life. They smelled of the Earth, not unlike Bunny's own scent. They were warm and homely as ever. Jack couldn't help but feel calm as his brother raced through.
All too soon, Bunny jumped out of a hole that had opened in Jack's room. He dumped the younger prince onto the floor without a warning. Jack took it in stride and stood up. Now staring into the eyes of Bunny, he waited for the earful he was sure to come. But all Bunny did was give Jack a slight glare and a warning to stay put before he disappeared back into the tunnel.
Jack was alone once again.
So what'd you think?
