hi all!

I'm Reborn-toon, and this is my first fanfiction on this site (and really the first one in general)! It's only a oneshot I know but I'm proud of it all the same!

Even if this is my first piece, I'm not asking for you all to go easy on me! I really do want some honest opinions on my work, so I can take what I learn and improve! So feel free to say what you feel :)

I'm not going to blab on, so enjoy! :3

disclaimer: I don't own animaniacs or any characters involved in this fic, all I own is this storyline and the cover art!

Yakko sighed softy, opening his eyes, and taking in his pitch-black surroundings. It must be around midnight... or at least that's what he thought. Since during the day, pinpricks of sun-light would filter in through the cracks and rust-ridden holes in the tower walls, giving their world at least a little light. Groaning a little, he began to shift himself into a better position. His paws blindly patting around the king-sized bed until he managed to find his siblings. Feeling oddly relieved, Yakko gently pulled himself across the bed, and curled himself protectively around his sleeping siblings; wakko giving a small yip of defiance, before nuzzling himself down into a comfortable position and continuing to snooze. Gently stroking their heads, he tried to relax enough to drift off to sleep.

Laying there in silence, Yakko felt at ease. The rhythmic sound of their breathing working just as well for him as counting sheep. In his relaxed state, his mind inevitably began to wonder. Beginning to ponder what host of weird and wonderful things could be happening outside the walls of their tiny prison. Were there flying cars yet? Have robots developed AI, taking over and enslaving humanity? Had they finally gotten ten different flavours in one kernel of popcorn? He honestly had no way of knowing. After they were thrown back in the tower and the door was sealed shut, their whole world froze. Yakko felt like he'd been stuck in the 90's for god knows how long now, to a point where he just felt disconnected from reality. The only clue they had at all, was the small specs of light, and the distant mumble of activity from the lot below them. He felt thankful that they could at-least know when it was day and night, so they didn't feel completely shut out from the world.

Increasingly agitated, Yakko couldn't help but feel scornful and angry at the humans below him. They could do what ever they wanted, whenever they wanted to. Then they would go back to a warmly lit home, with food and comfort. And fall asleep knowing they could open their door the next day and do it all over again. Humans like that had no time to think about toons like them, especially when they don't bother to see past their smiling faces, and goofy antics on the TV screen. Why did they deserve a life of freedom and luxury? All while his little siblings were rotting away in their prison on stilts, dreaming of what the sky looked like, and how birds sound when not muffled by sheets upon sheets of grimy metal. Yakko took a deep breath to calm himself, he knew that not all humans were like that. But he couldn't help but think they failed to see how lucky they were to live the way they do. The only human who truly understood them was their creator; but they were locked in the tower for the first time not long after their birth, so they didn't see much of him. Enough to know he was a great man though, better than most others they'd had the displeasure of meeting (and the pleasure of making 'special friends').

Most humans in-fact, Yakko felt, had only been an inconvenience to him and his siblings. But there was only one that he thought held the title as the lowest of the low. He knew he shouldn't be wasting brain cells even thinking about him, but it does make him feel better to mentally bash the guy into the ground. They trusted him after all, more than anyone else really. He felt that man more than deserved any karma coming his way, he was surprised to think that he ever felt any different about him. Otto von Scratchnsniff was, and still is in his opinion, a devil in a well made disguise. He was assigned one job, to earn their trust and be able to act as someone they could talk to if needed. And reluctant as Yakko was to admit it, he did that job rarther well. So well in-fact that he actually earned their trust, something harder than you might imagine (especially for a human). It only made it all the more painful when the time came for them to be locked away again, he felt a knot forming in his throat just thinking about it. Yakko had already known what the studio had in store for them before the guards had even started coming after them, so he did the one thing he thought would help. He went to see 'scratchy'. The feeling of trust he had for the man at the time just made him feel sick to his stomach, but he honestly thought it was the best option at the time. He had tried to appeal to Scratchnsniff about helping them evade being locked in the tower, even suggesting hiding out in his apartment as a last ditch effort. But of course, scratchy was more into his job than protecting the lives of those who cared for him. And he insisted that he couldn't risk his job by helping them in that way, so ended up refusing.

Yakko could kind of understand why scratchy would want to keep his job over them, but he still couldn't help but feel a deep sense of betrayal about the whole thing. His siblings trusted him, heck, HE trusted him, but all they got in return for that was a turned back for a solid pay check. He wondered if the man even cared for them at all: if all those trips to funfairs and theme-parks were just to make his job easier, and all those kind words were pre-planned to give the maximum impact on their behaviour. A small part of him didn't want to believe that, but he knew that it was most likely the case, it was the job he was trained to do after-all. Even if there was the chance he didn't mean it, and wanted to make it up to them. Yakko felt that their bond was too far gone to save, his sibs may give him a chance, but Otto wouldn't be nearly as lucky with him. He continued to fret about this, his thoughts winding themselves around his head and tangling into knotted bunches. It was doing nothing but making him increasingly stressed and agitated.

Yakko's frantic train of thought was suddenly broken, by the quiet whimpering and shuffling from his arms. All the panicked and angst-filled thoughts he had been entertaining a second earlier melted away, thwarted by the innocence of his sleeping sibs. He smiled warmly, hugging them both close as possible. Watching with awe at how they could remain so peaceful despite the situation they were in. He almost felt jealous, not that he would admit it to them. Feeling quite embarrassed about his angry mental rant, Yakko felt it was best if he called it a night. He did need at least some sleep after all, despite being locked permanently in a pitch-black water tower.

Taking deep breaths, and calming himself once more, he let his worn out brain finally take a rest. Deciding it would be much nicer to drift away with his siblings into a peaceful sleep, than worry for the rest of the night. Once again shuffling around until he was satisfied with his position, yakko began to drift off into a luckily less fitful sleep.

Hopefully, tomorrow would be better.