Happy Lies

-

The gates of the village's ground creakily opened, letting a hamster walk through as they shivered a bit from the cold of winter. Sure the place was under ground, but the hamster always felt icy to the touch, even in his light grey sweater. The hamster made his way down to the town's center, lifting his head up to look beyond the cover of his hood to examine the spectacle of a statue. The statue itself was crafted from what seemed to be marble, it resembled a brave hamster warrior whose blade was struck inside a large rat with a golden crown. Unknown to the hero in the middle, laid a beast like creature slinking under the warrior, preparing to bite a foot with long ghastly fangs. The beast has the look of pure evil and hatred in its eyes, while it wore a hat of arrow shaped antennas, pulling back as if they were ears.

Voices of the villagers rumbled in the background as they lived their daily lives, vendors, friends chatting, and young hamsters playing knights or messing with old lost phones by humans. The back noises were ignored by the hooded hamster. All but one who spoke out to him from behind, " It's nice to see you here." The voice was a gentle one, letting the observer know they meant no harm.

" I guess... They keep getting the statue wrong." The hooded hamster kept his paws in his pockets, still looking up to investigate the marble. The other hamster sighed and walked next to him with a cane of glossy wood.

" I keep telling them that but they think it would be more exhilarating and epic if, The Tale Of Owen had him slaying the Rat King and dyeing by the claws of the fiendish beast of hate. I guess if folks around here knew the real story, they would not be as interested. I apologize." The older hamster looked over to the hooded hamster to get a look of the owner of the sweater. The sweater hamster glanced over to the other and smirked. The old fool still wore that brown vest, blue musketeer like robe along with a perfectly fitted gold crown.

The hooded hamster exhaled, " So... I'm just a monster to them huh?"

The king shook his head, " To some. But to others since I still keep telling youngin's about the true story, that you aren't a monster. Your just a heartbroken hamster who fell into hatred. Some pity you but if I said who, you would throw a hissy fit... I take it you came back to reminiscent on the past again?"

" Only because it's near the festival of the anniversary of 'The Great Owen slaying Tyrant Rexford, to get the rightful king back in to his place. But yes." The hooded hamster looked down as he answered the king.

The king smiled gently, " As you do... Don't worry, I'll try to distract the guards from bothering you as long as I can. These days the guards are so jumpy at hooded youngin's. But please do hurry, we don't want another incident."

The hooded hamster scoffed as he rolled his hidden eyes under the hood, " Pth, they started it when they threw a spear at me. Not my fault I snatched their eye out."

" Just don't take too long please. And by the way, here, the missus knew you'd visit." The king handed the hooded hamster a small box of cooked sunflower seeds seasoned in what smelled like caramel. The crowned hamster smiled as he wobbled off using his cane to move to the barracks.

The hooded hamster sat on a bench not far from the statue, pulling out the seeds, sniffing it to get a full scent of sweetness before licking the caramel off. His eyes closed as he remembered that he had to suck to get milk when he was a young pup...

-

Years ago

A tiny furless pink looking blob nestled itself under the cage's bedding to hide from itself away from the violent vibrations it felt under its stubby feet, as well to not be covered in an unknown feeling of liquid pouring down it's back. Some muffled sounds were heard from someone being frantic to grab the attention of someone else. Calm mumbles hushed down the intense and loud sounds.

However for the one doing all this could be heard perfectly, a rather large hamster nibbled up some meat dripping down it's jaw and onto the soft bedding. A girl watched in horror and dismay as the hamster devoured it's brand new babies. " Chad ... Wh-why is she doing this? I don't have anything that should cause her stress or fear. She has plenty of food and water that she enjoys. Her cage is properly large enough for her babies. I didn't touch any of the babies to make her confused with an unknown scent. Hell, I didn't even get excited or take pictures so she wouldn't be stressed when they came out. I don't get it."

A young man lowered down to his girlfriend, brows furrowing as he examined the soon to be over carnage, " Hrm... Well it might be because she thinks she can't look after all of them. Some hamsters eat their young if they don't think they can maintain the brood. And I'm not seeing any else. I mean it is her first time"

The girl looked over to him with a stern look on her face, " Yeah well, Annabelle, Marcy, and Gwen just had their first batch too..."

The boyfriend adjusted his glasses a bit, " Guess she doesn't have that much confidence in herself to uphold her babies. Animals can be like people sometimes, some don't think they can manage certain things an-Oh! Hey look." He pointed carefully to some bedding in the cage shuffling about. The mother hamster seemed to have been done downing her young and was about to clean herself until she noticed the area Chad pointed at. She grumbled to herself before unveiling a very small pink baby hiding from her. Without hesitation she grabbed the tiny hamster with her paws before shoving it into her mouth. Of course she got a gasped response from the humans, but she decided to ignore it. The baby squirmed in her mouth as she was about to bite down on its tender hide. Though she stopped and looked over at three other large aquariums around the room, watching as the other mothers were taking care of their new week old pups. The mother hamster slowly but surely spat out her last baby carefully before cleaning it from her own drool.

" Oh thank god, she spat it out. Well Kim-Kim, looks like you're a mother of one, I guess." Both humans sighed in relief.

-

Three Weeks Later

" Mom, mom, hey mom, look, Lydia and Chad are talking about some place new for me to be able to play with Miss Annabelle's an-and Miss Marcy's, and Miss Gwen's kids! I'm so excited!" A tiny mellowed hamster with a cracked egg design of black covering it's rump ran about the soft bedding around it's mother who had been laying down for a while. The mother smiled, watching her only pup fuss around his tiny mohawk like stubble on his head.

" Calm down honey, I'm sure their all excited as you." She coughed out a bit, still happy to see her only child still be hyped up.

" He-Hey mom. How come the others ha-have siblings?" The tiny hamster sat down next to his mother.

The mother frowned, her son was far too young to learn the concept of death, and would rather not want him to leave on a sour note about her, " Well sweetie... A monster came and gobbled them up like sunflower seeds, then whisked them away so that it could raise them to be wild hamsters since it never had babies for itself. Then it got you, but it spat you back out, because it knew *cough* that I wanted at least one."

" Woooow, that's a weird story. But I'd rather have a nice home instead of living in the wild w-where cats are! You're so brave mom!"

The mother grabbed the tiny hamster, licking his stubby mohawk to groom him, " Yes, yes. Now come here, let's get you nice and clean before you go."

The tiny hamster flailed for a moment not wanting his head to be messed with, " Awww, mom! Your ruining my groove! Sides I-I was spat out by a monster, ewww!"

The older hamster placed him down and laughed only to go into a coughing fit. She poked the tip of his nose playfully, " Yes, and that's why I named you Spat. Now remember to have fun okay?"

The smaller hamster nodded before nuzzling up against his mother's fur, " An-And I won't forget y-you either!" The mother embraced her only child in a hug before a large container was placed onto the human's bed.

The girl clasped her hands, " Alright guys, time to go to Grandpa's!" The woman gently and carefully picked each baby from the other cages and into the soft bedded box before opening the mother with one's cage. She carefully laid her palm out, letting Spat climb onto it. He turned his way waving to his mother who weakly waved back as he was lifted out from the cage and into the box, finally able to run and play with those near his age. Lydia closed the box with holes on the top before picking it up and walking out with it. One hamster whose cage was near the window, looked out and waved to the others letting them know the car was gone and the coast was clear. Once the owner was gone the other three mothers quickly opened their cage's and ran to Kim's cage, opening it up and going in to check up on their friend.

" I know it's been rough Kimberly, but, you did it! We're so proud of you!" One by one they walked to the mother who was still laying down.

" Yeah, you proved dad wrong, you managed to raise one pup." Another choked out, " Our baby sister did it... Mom would be proud of you." Tears swelled into her eyes before she started to cry out and walk away.

The other two patted their sensitive sister before turning their attention to weakly laying down one, " You know, you didn't have to be a breeder hamster right? You could have turned down that guy. You knew this would happen."

The weak hamster sighed, " Yeah I know. But I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. I could raise a pup. Even if it meant getting rid of the safety for my health. You know I never think highly of myself. I didn't want to end up all alone and never experience love for a child. I'm sure he's going to make it through, even for being a runt... I'm getting sleepy."

" We understand Kimberly. Just rest up okay? We love you." The eldest sister sat next to her sickly sister, being joined by the other two shortly after.

Meanwhile the box of rambunctious hamsters were soon moved into a large aquarium filled with many toys, food, and water. Spat flopped out from the box and into the new bedding, cuddling into it and sniffing it's sweet cedar scent before sighing in pleasantness. Over head an old man smiled to the young lady, " Thank you Lydia, I'm sure they'll all be shipped out to new homes. Speaking of which, isn't that one a bit to small?"

" He's a runt grandpa, but I'm sure he'll be fine, though Kim-Kim hasn't moved a whole lot." The girl sighed as she rubbed her own arm looking down, knowing that the mother hamster had gotten fairly sick.

The elderly man frowned, seeing his granddaughter was a bit upset over the ordeal, " All in all, she did at least rear up one baby. Don't worry, I'll take care of him carefully." He reassured her, making her lips curl into a light smile.

-

A Month Or So Later

All the bred hamsters had been adopted except for the runt who now had the whole cage to himself. He huddled into the bedding, missing all the others he got to know and play with. He wondered why no one picked him or why he didn't get put back with his mom. Tears stung at his eyes as he sat up to look out the window nearby. No people walked in, but he did manage to catch a glimpse of three hamster wandering the large room. He was shocked as he recognized them, " Hi Miss Annabelle, Miss Marcy, and Miss Gwen! Why are you outside your house?!"

The three looked up, not expecting the young runt to still be there after what seemed to be so long. They quickly climbed up to greet him, " Well, when the humans are gone we typically like to roam around and chat deary. Why are you still here?"

The small hamster shrugged behind the glass, " I don't know. Everyone else g-got picked up. Old Mister Felix said something about I'm a runt and wouldn't survive being moved, whatever that means. I wonder if I'll get to go back to mama!" Spat ruffled up his cheeks excited at the idea to be with his mother, and being oblivious to the wording the old man kept telling people.

One of the sister's smile died down into worry, " Uhm. Spat, a runt is well... A kid that is normally sick, weak, and very small. They need very special care."

" So I'm still here because I'm special? Well, I guess that makes sense, but will I get to see mama again? She's special too! She kept coughing s-so she's special like me right?!" He happily waved his tiny arms about only to receive more concerned looks from the others.

" Uhm... Spat honey, she's gone..."

It took a moment before the young hamster's confused frown turned into a smile, " Oh! She must have got scooped up by a monster and taken with my brothers an-and sisters to live as wild hamsters!" The three sisters looked to one another, even more concerned and worried just before one of them nodded, not wanting to let Spat know she had passed away from a sickness of childbirth, as well as not letting him know he would never be able to bought. Just as they were about to comfort him into thinking happy thoughts the door opened, making the bell above chime, warning the sisters to hide in a drawer that happen to be opened with scraps of messed papers.

The person who walked in was just a fellow worker, Spat knew him well, though he always seemed to be moving around in different ways as two strings stuck out from his ears. The worker always wore the same shoes, red hat, and worker apron as he made noises to an unknown beat. The worker moved over to the large cage, picking up some boxes under the table where the cage sat. Upon getting up, he bumped into the table and waltzed into another room bobbing his head with the boxes in his arms. The old table shook, sliding the aquarium down onto the floor, crashing into glass shards and bedding. The sisters gasped and ran out to look down to the floor for any signs of Spat.

Some bedding rustled before the young hamster popped his head out, along with the rest of his body. Spat looked around, never being out of a cage was stunning, and since he had just learned the sisters always did it, it could be his first time. " SPAT?! OH MY GOODNESS ARE YOU OKAY?!"

He looked up to the frightened sisters before smiling to them and waving, " Of course I am! Well, I'll see you later! I'm goin-going to go look for Mama! Bye!" The tiny hamster sprinted off to a small crack at the door.

The sisters cried out shouting for him to come back, but the worker soon came back to notice the mess he had caused. This made the sisters hide once more as Spat looked over at the worker who seemed to be full of fear. Not understanding the crisis he shrugged it off and squeezed out the hole, venturing into a small tunneled grate system under the sidewalk. With a deep breath he began his trek.

It took a long time but the runt managed to make it to a heavily wooded area, all the sights, sounds, and scent filled up with amazement. That was until he yawned tiredly, as his stomach started to rumble, " Hmm, I should have brought some food... What do wild hamsters eat?" He questioned to himself trying to nibble on rocks, flowers, and an acorn. With the acorn he was able to pierce the shell like a seed, but it was still rough to open.

A somewhat large shadow move over his own tiny shadow, making him turn around and look up at a large orange furred squirrel. He gasped once he saw the perked up ears and the amazingly puffed up tail that wriggled side to side, " Woah. Hello there! I like your tail! Do you know how to open this?" He held out the acorn, making the squirrel twitch happily, it's eyes darted at the acorn. The fidgeting paws of the squirrel reached out to snatch it away from him, only for them to be hit with a small pebble that came from nowhere. It yelped and scurried up a tree, " Wait come back!"

" Kid, what the hell are you doing?!" A voice spoke up from behind a plant. Spat turned over to see a orange and light golden tinted hamster who was a bit bigger than the hamsters he was use to. Spat watched as the hamster walked over to him. The stranger wore a small leathered vest as a string wrapped around his chest carrying something on his back. " Did no one teach you how to harvest?! Don't give those nutjobs acorns! This is our field for food, not theirs, they can go across the park to get some."

Spat blankly watched the older hamster, blinking and tilting his head in confusion, " Wha-What's a squ-squirrel?" The orange furred hamster knelt down and sniffed Spat like his mother would, receiving a giggle.

" You're not with the village. Who are you? How did you get here?"

Spat smiled to the new hamster, " I'm looking for my mama, she was taken with my siblings t-to be a wild hamster! A lo-lonely monster took them and taught them t-to be wild hamsters! I-I didn't get picked by people, and was le-let go after my glass home broke."

The orange one rubbed his paw over his forehead, he had heard the monster taking hamsters to grow as domestic pets for wild hamsters, so he put two and two together, knowing it was just like those stories, only the other way round. Telling a kid about death was much to morbid and would easily depress them, " Oi... Oh boy, a domestic pup who has nowhere to go. Uhm... Look kid, how about you come with me, I can teach you some stuff and uh... Look for your mother. But you need to learn some things if you're going to survive out here." Another blank stare, " I mean... So you can be uhh happy out in the wild." The runt knew that more than the word survive and happily nodded.

The orange tinted hamster made his way to a small band of hamster as he helped Spat lower onto the grass from being on some rubble. He waved and called out to the group, " Guys!" The group looked over and waved happily seeing their friend return, only to stop mid-way at the sight of the runt. They watched their friend help the tiny hamster make their way to the band, before he happily sat down on the grass to inhale some air, turning it into a joyful sigh.

An enormous hamster sporting an eyepatch and belt gazed at the runt as he gazed back, " Uhm... Owen what the hell is that?" The large dark mellowed and brown muzzled hamster asked his friend, inspecting Spat.

" Yeah, yeah, save it. You chew me out later okay? This little guy doesn't have anywhere to go, and it's our sworn duty to protect anyone in trouble, or are you forgetting our code again, Barnett?" The orange furred looked at the other, a semi-deadly glare in his eyes, clearly not wanting to deal with any trouble.

The larger hamster grumbled, furrowing his large brows, " N-No sir. So what's he doing out here? I've never seen him before.

" I'll tell you later, but for now, this little guys with us now. Anyways, that being said, kid, these are my teammates." He smiled brightly to Spat who was astonished by them all. " This big guy is Barnett. He's our big tough berserker. He's our strongest guy I know." Barnett huffed, looking away mumbling angrily to himself. He then waved his paw to two violet-like grey hamsters who had a peach texture on their bellies and heads, " That's Steen, and his sister Sondra."

Spat gasped loudly, putting his paw on his cheeks, " THEY LOOK LIKE EACH OTHER!" He yelled out, never knowing siblings could look identical.

One of the twins laughed out, adjusting his goggles that apprehended his forehead, " Yup! Some hamsters have twins like me and Sondra here! It's easy to tell us apart since I wear these kick-ass goggles, annnnnd that I happen to be right handed~!" Steen pride fully showed a black glove on his right paw. He was soon shoved out of the way by his sister who rolled her eyes at Steen's ego.

She knelt down and shook the runt's paw, " And I'm Sandra. You can point me out since I wear this nurse hat and I'm left handed." She smiled warmly to the younger hamster before turning around showing him an elongated tail that was covered with soft fur. With this Spat's eyes shimmered in amazement once more.

" I never knew hamsters could have fuzzy tails! It's so pretty! And fluffy!" He giggled out while Sandra bowed down before returning to her brother's side.

The orange hamster nodded, " Yeah, Steen is our ahem 'dashing' sneaky rouge, and Sandra is our medic in case we get hurt." A reddish hued hamster with a dark orange belly made his way over, he was in the back reading a book, not knowing the commotion that was astir.

He tilted his head, studying Spat, small glasses encased his large eyes as they scanned over the runt. " Quite... I am Minas, Sandra's boyfriend. I specialize in art, history, and so on." He was rewarded a blank stare from the young hamster.

" What's a boyfriend?" Spat asked still confused to the point of no return.

" Lover boy here is our smarts. How he manage to hook up with my sister is beyond me. It's when you like girl a lot, and I mean A LOT!" Steen boldly stated, getting a clear irritation from Minas.

Spat scrunched his face up, " Ew! Girls have cooties!"

Minas sighed as he held his book closely, " You'll understand when your older." The glasses wearing hamster went to Sandra's side, making her smile and blush. Spat watched them still confused, thankfully that confusion was cut off by a light brown colored and black spotted hamster with a rather large belly hiding under a bright blue musketeer like tapestry.

The chubby hamster sat down, handing out a sunflower seed to Spat, " Hi, I'm Devine, nice to meet you." Spat joyfully nibbled the treat he was given. The orange tint hamster pointed out to the chubby one.

" Devine here is my best friend, we've known each other since we were both your age kiddo. He's our nobleman and bard, aka a guy whose really loyal, friendly, and likes poetry." He chuckled as the two high-foured each other.

Finally one last member who was preoccupied with something waltzed over, a small light brown hamster wearing two ribbons on side to side of her head, with a large pink fluffy bow sitting in front of an ear, " And I am Beryl, it is a wondrous offer to meet you young one." She curtsied to Spat who looked up at her.

" Wow. You look really pretty Mi-Miss." His eyes sparkled as Beryl giggled to herself from the remark as she said something about Spat being too sweet.

" This is our lovely athletic lady who can climb trees just like squirrels; the thing you saw earlier. She is quite breathtaking, I admit." The orange tinted one said.

Beryl blushed up and waved her delicate paw, " Oh you~. Speaking of which, you haven't introduced yourself Owen." Before the orange hamster could speak, the gentle lady spoke for him instead, " This is our leader, Owen. He's the most adventurous, brave, and kindest hamster you'll ever meet."

Owen rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed, " Beryl... O-Oh! Right, that reminds me, you got a name kid?"

The runt nodded, " Yeah, my name's Spat!"

Owen gave him an odd look, " Uh... Spat? D-Did you like give that name to yourself or...?" He began to trail off a bit.

" No my mama named me Spat. She says I escaped the monster who took my siblings to grow up into the wild like you guys!" He smiled brightly, only getting some concerned looks from the others.

Owen swiftly held out a twig to Barnett before he could say anything, " Well... Spat, let's take you to the village." Owen chuckled very shyly, knowing this might take a while.

-

Soon Spat would learn that some lie to their loved ones to make them happy.