Miss.Ecofreak: It's almost fun rewriting the fics, at least when I find new ideas later (and that happens a lot) I've decided I want to do that on my first fanfic too, Growing Up In Haven City, so if it suddenly disappears without a trace in the near future, I might have temporarily deleted it
Zakura: what's wrong with that?
Miss.Ecofreak: Just some bits and pieces that I'm not pleased with... But before you ask, I won't change Jak's family history since that would totally destroy the plot of the Light Within. But I am thinking of doing a (sort of) new version in the Ancient Ones 2 where his history will be differentyet Katewill still get a part in it(If I feel like writing that)
Does that sound like a good idea?
But enough talk of other fics, on with the Ancient Ones!
CHAPTER 2
LIFE IN TUNNEL TOWN
"Hey daddy! Wanna play hide and seek with me?"
"Not now kiddo, daddy's busy".
Balder, who had now grown into quite a hyper little ottsel, put up the biggest brown puppy-eyes he could master.
"Don't give me that look son. I have important work to do" Buster said petting his son's head. "Why don't you go play with your little sister?"
"But Anny is far too easy to find! No fun at all" Balder said. "Why is her fur so much different from everyone else's?"
There came the big question, most ottsels in the colony were born orange or brown, or, as in Balder's case, a combination of both colors.
It wasn't always easy telling weather Balder's fur was brown or orange, he had both colors covering his entire body, and except his tummy which was white.
The tip of his feet was white as well, while his fingers and the tip of his ears and tail were all brown.
His sister Anny on the other hand, seemed to have inherited some of her mother's most dangerous genes.
Snowrose, like her name says, was all white and with shining red eyes, an albino, one of natures mistakes.
Of course Buster found her fur pretty, but it was hopeless when it came to hiding, Snowrose had therefore never been allowed to leave the tunnels, and she had never seen the sun before.
Anny was light blue on most of her body, while the color on her stomach was white, Buster was afraid she would not be able to go outside either, it would be too easy for a precdator to find her and eat her.
"Well, Balder. That is a good question" Buster said. "Mommy and Anny are… special".
"Yeah but why? No other ottsels in the colony are white?" Balder said.
He was right; most albino-newborns were killed, since they would never be able to survive in the big world anyway.
For elves and humans, this may sound ruthless, but ottsels relied heavily on their ability to blend into the environments in order to get food.
White ottsels couldn't hide, and had to rely on others to go outside to get food for them.
An albino would only be a burden for the other ottsels, and extra trouble was the last thing they needed.
Snowrose's mother had died during child birth, and her father decided to keep the child, since she was all he had left of his departed wife.
He got food for his daughter his whole life, until she married Buster.
"Listen kiddo. I'll play with you for a few minutes if you promise to go ask your mother afterwards, okay?" Buster said.
"Okay!" said Balder, forgetting all about the question immediately.
Hide and seek was the favorite game of most ottsel-children, it was actually more than just a game; it was practice for the real thing when they had to hide from predators outside of the tunnels.
Young ottsels weren't allowed outside the tunnels, but adults sometimes went out to find food, fruits and fishes rarely lived underground.
The game didn't last for long.
Balder had long since found his favorite hiding spot and refused to hide anywhere else although everyone in the colony knew where he was.
Still, Buster liked to pretend he didn't know but today he was in a hurry and quickly found the kid.
"Perhaps it's time to find a new hiding spot?" he asked as he lifted the shrub his son was hiding under.
"Why? This is the perfect spot! I even have berries if nobody finds me" Balder said showing the berries of the "tunnel-shrub" to his father.
Buster laughed, it was no point trying to change this young ottsel's mind.
"Come on invincible berry-eater. Let's go home and see if mommy's got dinner ready" he said and picked up his son.
As they walked home the two ottsels passed one of the many tunnels that lead outside Tunnel Town.
"Dad? What is it outside Tunnel Town?" Balder asked.
He was never tired of asking that question.
"Well… it's big… and dangerous" Buster explained.
"That's what you always say" Balder said sounding disappointed. "That's what everybody always says! They always talk about precdators and birds of prey, but how come we can't just tell them to leave us alone?"
"Well… it's in their nature. Just like it's in our nature to eat fish" Buster said.
"Can't we chase them away then?" Balder asked.
"You surely are a brave one aren't you?" Buster asked. "The precdators are way to strong for an ottsel to beat, and the draco-birds only fly away. I'm sorry kid; we just have to live with them".
But deep in his mind, Buster actually agreed with his son.
In fact that was what he had been working on all these years, a way to defeat the predators outside, so that his wife and daughter could come out and see the sun.
Other ottsels said it was impossible of course, there was absolutely no way an ottsel could become the most powerful beings in the world, they said.
"There you are!"
A female voice interrupted Buster's thoughts.
Snowrose stood outside their small hut with little Anny standing by her feet.
"You shouldn't play out for too long, dinner is ready" she said.
"What is it? Not cave-plants again?" Balder asked.
"No, in fact your dear uncle was kind enough to go up to Mountain-Lake Town and get us some good deep-water fish" Snowrose said as Buster's brother Rambo appeared in the doorway.
"And you better like it, cause I had to avoid five nasty precdators on the way up there, including their kids" Rambo said. "Too bad the Mountain-Lake-fishes only appear in the underground lakes once a year to breed, of course they had to pick the time of year that the precdator-young learn to hunt. Do have any idea how traumatizing it is to be used as a toy by those monsters? Makes me wish their parents just killed me on the spot".
"Shh Rambo, not in front of the kids" Snowrose said. "Come on everyone, let's eat".
"Er… I'm sorry dear, but I have so much to do at work" Buster said.
Snowrose looked at him with disappointment in her eyes.
"Again? You never have time to your family anymore" she said.
"I know hon. and once again I'm sorry. But this important, it's about our future. Our children's future" Buster said.
"Yeah. I know" Snowrose said, still sounding a bit sad. "Keep fighting the good fight Buster. I'll leave some fish for you to eat when you come back".
"I may not be home until late, so don't stay up and wait" Buster said before he ran of towards his office.
"You never do" Snowrose said silently as her mate disappeared from view.
Miss.Ecofreak: how's that? PLEASE REVIEW!