Disclaimer: Happy Tree Friends (c) Mondo Media, Story, Daniel, Lillian, and Vahlihn are mine.
Summary: When Daniel's foster parents are assasinated by a fox with a grudge left from the war, he sets his sights to find the assasin and take revenge. But hot on a trail he is plunged into Happy Tree Town, how will he ever find the assasin when he can't leave? Based on Ka-Pow! Operation Tiger Bomb and OCs from my deviantart account fuutenpumkynnz
Fuuten: genre may change to romance/mystery later
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He scowled as the water droplets started falling on the already too damp ground, regretting not buying an umbrella at the last store. But he was in a rush, and oh so close to catching him.
Daniel tilted his head up, a single eye rested its gaze wearily on the heavy clouds.
Now was no time to stall, he'd never been closer to his target. But he was tired, and the scenery was awfully dreary. The pittering of the rain never sounded more like his old music box.
Pulling his collar up, he leaned into the wind and trudged on, moving forward, but his thoughts took in the opposite direction.
---flashback---
"Mommy, daddy!" the two tigers lifted their heads from the stack of papers and looked at their adopted child.
Lillian smiled and petted the black fawn's head, gently taking the now colorful paper and inspecting it as only a mother could, "Why that's pretty darling, did you draw it?"
Nodding eagerly he pulled the paper out of his mother's hands and pushed it into his father's hands.
Squinting, Vahlihn held it at arms length, before nodding and pulling the small bundle into his lap. Daniel batted at the necklace around his father's neck, the family heirloom. He smiled wistfully, that necklace was a tiger family heirloom. Only passed through the family.
But he was pulled from his throughts by his father. Strong arms threw and caught the laughing child before rocking him slowly.
Daniel giggled and jumped off, snagging his paper as he did so, "It's for you, mommy, daddy, you 2 are over there..." There were 2 vaguely shaped blobs, different only in color. "...and there's an angel! He's giving you a voice, and mommy a rose!"
Vahlihn made a few quick signs and Lillian nodded, "Your father says you're getting better every day, and that he loves it."
They put in their fair share of praise, and both his parents smiled, but no matter how much he hoped to hear his father, the praise would be voiced by only one.
Smiling, he left the room, but once in his own room he slumped over the bed. He loved his father, but he wished he could speak.
Unconsciously, he winded up his music box. A soft melody flowed from it, the music that played was always a familiar comfort.
Idly, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, he knew he wasn't their real child, but it didn't matter. No, he did not care for his biological parents, this was his family here. He hoped his family loved him the same.
He looked up, smiling slightly, maybe a birthday wish would bless his father a voice, he would make that so. Daniel couldn't wait, his birthday was tomorrow.
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"Close your eyes honey." The steady arm led him to the dining room, he could see through the thin gaps between his mother's fingers.
Despite vowing to be mature and keep from jumping left and right, he couldn't help bouncing on his heels.
"Surprise!" The hands suddenly flew off, a soft yet somehow strong and warm light bombarded his eyes.
There, on the dinner table was the prettiest cake, simple beauty that was often admired and doted by children.
He squealed. Bounding over, his father nodded to him, handing him a plastick knife, "Your father says you're mature enough to cut the cake yourself." the soft voice spoke.
Beaming, Daniel felt brighter than any candle on the cake. But his task was yet to come, he had to blow out all the candles on the cake if his father was to have a voice.
Looking for the familiar necklace around his father's neck, he found, to his surprise, that it wasn't there. But where was it? Father never took off his precious heirloom.
His heart beat fast as he inhaled as much air as his lungs could hold, and blew hard. Flames flickered and puffed out. Daniel opened his eyes, hopeful, but there, in the middle of the cake, was a single flame.
It flickered, before straightening out, the light defiantly dancing on his astonished face, how could he miss that one candle? In the middle of the cake nonetheless!
Daniel slumped, and a high pitched whine made itself known in the back of his throat. Why had he messed up?
"Honey... babe, what's wrong?"
How? He put his small paws over his eyes and quaked slightly, forget that his mother and father was in the room, it would be another whole year before he would get another chance, and what if he messed up again?
A broad hand settled of his quivering frame, and the soft whoosh accompanied by the puff as the last flame was put out.
His father smiled down at him, stroking his long silvery bangs while his mother patted and rubbed his back, whispering the words of comfort his father wanted to voice.
Daniel peeked through thin fingers, the familiar dark blue fur surrounded vibrant yellow eyes. With a pencil and paper, Vahlihn wrote, don't cry, we're always be there for you.
Though still doubtful, the reassurance of his father brought a small smile to the youth's face.
Gingerly, he raised his arms, expecting a hug from his parents, but in the same moment a knock sounded on the door. His father raised a brow. who's knocking at this time of night? the unspoken question voiced by his eyes.
Vahlihn peered through the peephole, but it was hard to make out the unfamiliar figure on their doorstep.
"Daddy, who's there?"
His brow furrowed and he felt Lillian's hands slip around his own arm, her soft voice questioning, "Who is it honey?"
But before he could reach out for the knob, the door was blown full off its hinges, the flash of white light blinding the small family.
Daniel screamed, the door had struck his parents.
Dazed, his mother was unable to see the dark figure that loomed before her, nor the familiar glint of light, before her stomache was cut open.
The dark figure ignored the shrieks, pulling the delicate intestines out and looping a dark green ball into it before shoving it back into the stomache of the pained tiger.
Leaping away, there was a second flash of light and a heavy tremble as the house shook. Deafened by the noise, Daniel instictively leapt back before he felt his father's familiar broad hands encircle his waist.
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Despite being half blinded by blood dripping from his cut upon being struck by the door, he had been faster to recover than poor Lillian and had dodged the first attack.
The small fawn was shocked into silence, his sensitive nose picked up that the blood did not all belong to his father.
mother...
Grabbing his son by the waist, he plopped him into a large vase and put a finger to his lips. Turning, he eyed the figure. Wearing a ski mask, and clad in black, he looked like a typical burglar. But this wasn't just any burglar.
The clothing was no doubt, the familiar coloration of the assasins that plagued the forest during the wars.
He grimaced, even after the war, it seemed that there was still a few who wouldn't let a grudge go.
Oh Lillian. His poor sweet Lillian, who wouldn't hurt a fly and was without any defensive training.
They had met and fought together on the battle front, him with a gun, and Lillian with a first aid kit, hoping the war to be over soon, wanting nothing more than to start their own family.
It was in that war, that he lost his voice, the smoke, the days of going without water. His soft yet low-toned voice, typical to all tigers, had faded. But it was a small price to pay.
They had gone home to find that Lillian was unable to produce a child. Lillian had been devastated and depression set in, her Longing to hold and coddle an infant snuffed the light from her eyes. Then, they had found Daniel.
It was a bleak day, when a knock had sounded. Lillian sat with a distant gleam in her eye. Vahlihn had stood, peering through the peephole and finding nothing. He had opened the door, wary of pranks from leftover grudges, and to his surprise, found the small bundle on the ground.
He had looked around, calling for the parents, wherever they would be. Expectedly, he was given no reply, and he gingerly took the child in, presenting it to Lillian. It was as if the baby had been the match that struck a light behind her eyes.
Despite his odd appearance, sleek black fur and silvery tufts on his head, the unnervingly different colored eyes, they loved him.
The heartfelt joy as they laughed and hugged their new child, warmed Vahlihn.
Fate had given him little Daniel, and he wasn't going to let it take him away without a fight.
Straightening, his eyes became the cold calculating eyes of a soldier. His training from so long ago, came back to him.
Feline ears and tail. But that gave no indication to species.
Dressed as he was without any visible weapons, he looked to be a typical burglar. But as he had thought before, this was no burglar. This was a grudge.
He sniffed. A Fox, agile, fast in both feet and mind, and creatively strategic on their feet.
Strange. He sniffed again to be sure. This fox smelled familiar, but he had seen no foxes where he had been stationed, none that lived. And surely none with such a familiar scent as this one.
Vahlihn growled never breaking his gaze, he opened a glass display shelf.
In it, was his precious war worn gun, and a single flash grenade.
The now identified fox pulled out his remainig weapons. 2 throw daggers and a single-hand gun.
He had promised Lillian he wouldn't raise a gun to kill again.
But no time to ponder, the fox crouched, before feigning a left and diving right.
A knife buried itself in the wall where moments before, his head was. The fox fired his gun, keeping Vahlihn on the defensive.
But he wasn't young anymore, and his soldier training had been so long ago. Panting, Vahlihn knew he wouldn't be able to dodge much longer. And at any moment, a stray bullet may just strike its target. Or worse, the vase containing the delicate child hidden inside.
He flicked the gun off 'safety' mode and fingered the ring of the grenade. His eyes locked on the fox's slinking form.
With what he had now, his choices were limited. His best chance for Daniel and his own life.
for little Daniel then. Happy Birthday.
Pulling the ring, he threw the grenade.
The fox had jumped, but in the moment that the grenade exploded, Vahlihn unlike the fox, expected the repeating and blinding blue flashes.
Squinting through the flash, his tiger eyes adjusted faster. Firing as quick as he did, he felt himself shoot the bullets where the fox should've been. But he had been far too concentrated on disabling the assasin, to have seen the flash of the dagger.
He gagged, blood spewing from his mouth and open wound. that was unexpected.
"DADDY!" the frantic voice called out to him.
Vahlihn sputtered, turning his head, he saw his aim was true. Having sucessfully shattered both shoulders, the fox was unable to right himself.
But Vahlihn craned his neck further, ignoring the pain in his muscles as he did so. Seeing through his unbloodied eye, he saw the broken remains of the assasin's gun. good. Not that the fox would be able to preform any functions concerning his hands and arms, but caution never hurt.
He wouldn't be capable of hurting Daniel now.
He smiled. Lillian, I kept my promise, the fox lives, and so does Daniel. He only wished he could've seen his son grow up.
Daniel cried, clutching at his father's fur, ignoring the thick liquid staining his own coat "DADDY! DADDY! Don't die, please...".
Vahlihn looked at his son. What would he have become? How would the boy live? But seeing his son's distress, he put forth to comfort the child.
"I love you, Daniel." the voice that spoke cracked, but managed to hoarsely whisper his name before blood choked the tired voice.
"Dad...? Please, don't die, DADDY!"
His father's eyes slowly closed, the harsh pants slowed. Till his last conscious thought, his mind would stay on little Daniel.
"DADDY!"
But Vahlihn and Lillian were already far beyound reach.
He cried, mommy and daddy were gone, they would never talk to him, hold him, or see his drawings again.
Long after his eyes ran out of tears to cry, he shakily stood up. The table had been knocked over, and the chairs, all broken.
He spotted his father's gun beside the table and managed to lug it into his arms
His heart pounded against its cage. Finally he found the fox, it had managed to stand, but its arms hung uselessly at its side like streamers in the wind.
In all the excitement the fox had not seen the child, and was helpless to do anything now.
Pointing the gun, he hammered it just as his father had taught him to do. Checking the safety he turned his attention back to the fox.
The disbelief went unchecked in the black eyes.
Daniel laughed, half crazed and desperate. This fox, had killed both his parents with incredible skill and speed. He had taken down an all time famous war veteran, and would now be killed by a child no older than 7.
This was a side to him that those fortunate enough, would never see. A gleam bordering crazy in the single eye that peered from under the shadows of his bangs. Just as his father had taught him, he too, could be the cold soldier, though it had been taught more for self defence than anything else.
As much as he hated to show this side, Daniel knew that it couldn't be help. His anger forced adrenaline to stream and fill his veins, the pressure it caused in him building up.
But he didn't pull the trigger. The fox could've shot his mother and father dead through the window, could've chucked a grenade into the house and disabled them with shrapnel. But the assasin hadn't. Sure he had blasted the door and blinded them all, but he still fought head on and honest with his father.
His hand shook from adrenaline and the added weight of the gun. Lowering it, he heard his voice, high-pitched with youth," Hide and seek. On the count of 10"
The fox's eyes, which had resigned to a calm acceptance, again widened with disbelief. Whether at the sudden turn of events, or the childish game, Daniel could only guess.
"10...9..." It wasted no time, before Daniel was down to 8, the fox was out of the house. But still he waited until he had counted to 0.
"Ready or not, here I come." he whispered to the now empty house. But before he left, he remembered and packed. All his precious things, his music box, food, from what he could salvage as a remembrance of his parents.
Entering the dining room, he looked at the smashed cake and picked up his unwrapped birthday present.
Opening it, he found, to his surprise the family heirloom his father had been missing (or so he had thought at the time), before he had blown out the candles.
Gingerly placing it around his neck, he found a card, still surprisingly untouched by the fray, with his parent's neat scrawl.
" Happy 7th birthday darling"
-your mother,
Lillian
" Wish you a happy seventh birthday, Daniel"
- Vahlihn
He placed the card into his backpack. For once, he found his father's lack to put a 'comfort quote' befire his name comforting. It was familiar. It was his father.
His father! The fox's scent was still on that dagger, and he would need the scent if he was to track him down. Daniel glanced uneasily at it. Reluctantly he went up and kneeled beside his father.
Giving the knife a slight tug, he found it stuck fast. He gave a shaky breath. Even with the knowledge that Vahlihn was dead, he couldn't stop thinking of his father as a live man.
A mute, but so filled with life, he had shown Daniel life and emotion was not just in one's words. There was many ways to express oneself.
Hesitating a while longer, he gave the knife a sharp pull, and it came out. He put that in his bag.
As a last farewell, he dragged the remains of his mother and father so they sat together, slumped against the wall. A desperate longing tightened his throat and brought a lump. Shaking his head free of his thoughts, he grimaced. It was neither time nor place for such thoughts.
Setting his mind back on the fox, he rechecked his bag.
But he didn't linger long, although he had already done the countdown, it hadn't felt like it had begun till now. He grinned, baring teeth.
let the games begin
Giving the house a last look, he left.
-------end flashback--------
Daniel yelped and jerked back, nursing his now throbbing head, he regarded the conveniently placed sign with distaste.
Squinting, he could just make out the faded purple paint on the large sign.
WELCOME TO HAPPY TREE TOWN
Purple?
Green, blue, or black, but never purple. And then there was the odd name.
Happy Tree Town. How strange. He had never heard of a town like that before, not through people nor maps. Speaking of which, just exactly where in the world was he?
It was all rather unnerving.
Looking around, he shrugged. Daniel did need to restock on supplies
He could always find a map or something in this town.
And maybe the fox as well
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Fuuten: Daniel is known as Freaky on deviant, just search up 'htf freaky'
Sneaky: so when do I get to appear?
Fuuten: *shrug* R and R ppl! ;)