Nezumi woke up suddenly to the sounds of loud clanking and clamoring. For a moment he thought he had overslept, and the guards had come for him. On further investigation however he found that Sion had cause the noise by knocking over the food tray. He probably was searching for any leftover crumbs and mistakenly hit it with his paw. The rabbit in question was frozen, his nose twitching as he searched for the danger. After a few seconds when nothing else made a loud sound he went back to sniffing the tray. Nezumi sighed as he relaxed. Although Sion had nearly given him a heart attack this would be a good time to start preparing for his escape. He would have naturally woken up in the next tine minutes, but since he was up now there was no reason to try go to back to sleep. Outside his cell he could see a small patch of light over the horizon. Nezumi guessed that he had about thirty minutes before the guards came. This gave him just enough time to prepare for the challenges ahead.

Nezumi tore of small parts of his pants and tied the bag of sleeping powder in the inside of waste band. Although it left a small bump it wasn't very noticeable. Next, he tore of the bottom part of his shirt and made a sling. He put it on and tested to see if Sion could fit in it comfortably. The rabbit wriggled a little but wasn't too squashed, if anything he actually seemed to enjoy snuggling against Nezumi. It was harder to get the rabbit out of the sling then putting him in. Sion pressed his body against Nezumi when he tried to take him out. Once the bunny was removed, he tried to climb back in.

"Not yet." Nezumi muttered as he sat the rabbit on the ground and took of the sling. "I can't keep you in there. It would look to suspicious."

Sion sniffed the sling before losing interest and hopping back to the food tray. Nezumi rolled his eyes and watched him. It was funny to think that, as far as Sion knew, nothing important was going to happen.

In the distance there was the sound of metal boots approaching. Nezumi tensed. He knew that this time it wasn't Sion. As the footsteps continued Nezumi relaxed his posture. The guards would be suspicious if the dark-haired man looked as if he was about to strike. Nezumi was supposed to be down and defeated. The actor took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He scooted the sling under his cell bench and sat down. When the guards were almost around the corner, Nezumi took a small handful of sleeping powder out from the hidden pouch. He relaxed his hands, so it wasn't as noticeable. After another few footsteps the guard came into view.

"Time to go." He said gruffly unlocking the cell. "Stand by far end wall with your back towards me." Nezumi stared at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"To make sure you don't escape."

The dark-haired man shrugged and complied. He heard the door open and the guard approach cautiously. Nezumi felt a twinge of pride at the guard's hesitation. Even locked up and weaponless, the dark-haired man had proved to be a good fighter and a fierce opponent. As a rat these traits were what made other rats leave him alone. His smugness ebbed away. He wasn't a rat anymore, and these trains make humans fear him. At this moment human's fear would only hinder him. The guard seemed to feel the same way. He stepped right behind the actor and grabbed his hands.

"What you are doing?" Nezumi asked clenching his fist over the sleeping powder.

"Tying your hands."

"Last time you tied them in front of my body, not behind them." He complained.

"I'm under orders to tie your hands behind you in case something happens."

"I see." Nezumi could feel the binds twisting around his wrist. He scowled in frustration. That would put a damper on his plan. If his hands were tied in front of him, it would be easy to hit the guard with the sleeping powder. Now however it would be a real challenge to get the powder to the man's face. He wished that Sir William's underestimated him, but he knew that the knight understood how good he was at fighting. He should have seen this coming.

"Why are you're fist bunched up?" The guard's voice brought Nezumi back to the present.

"Nervous." Nezumi muttered. "Can I turn around now?" There was a pause from behind him before the guard reluctantly said,

"Alright."

Nezumi turn around slowly, taking the time to make sure his face didn't show any emotion. It was uncomfortable to have his hands behind his back. The second he was facing the guard, the man put a sword to his neck.

"I thought I was going to be hanged not stabbed to death." Nezumi commented nonchalantly. If there was any time, he was extremely glad to be an actor it was now. His nervous were shot and he felt desperate. Panicking wouldn't help. He needed to be nonchalant and calm in order to keep the guard talking. That would give him time to find a way out of his predicament.

"Sir William's ordered me to take the rabbit." The guard's hand tightened on the sword and Nezumi notice that his left hand had a bite mark on it. " I don't want to be bitten again. Any funny moves and I will have to strike." Nezumi felt a chill travel down his spine.

"Where are you going to take him?"

"The kitchen."

"Don't you dare!" The dark-haired man snarled.

"Careful." The guard said pushing the blade up to the prisoner's neck. Nezumi fought to stay still. It wouldn't do any good to fight the man while he had his sword. If Nezumi died, then Sion stood no chances of making it out alive.

Instead of fighting he stilled himself and waited for the right moment to strike. He silently hoped that Sion had hid in the cell. He hoped that Sion was out of sight of the man so he would have to turn his head to look for him. These hopes were crushed however when Nezumi felt something soft bump against his leg. The dark-haired man closed his eyes for a moment and swore softly. Of course, Sion was by his side. The guard probably scared him. The bunny was hoping for some protection from Nezumi. The guard bent over, his eyes still on the dark-haired man as he reached for the rabbit. Nezumi could feel Sion press against his legs as he attempted to avoid the reaching hand. After a few more attempts Nezumi heard Sion's squeals of fear.

"Got you." The knight muttered as he began lifting the rabbit. The prince's cries made Nezumi tense. It hurt to hear Sion's pain and fear. His Sion was afraid. His Sion had come to him for protection and he had failed him. The dark-haired man could do nothing but watch. After a seconds Sion appeared in Nezumi's line of vision. The actor watched the writhing, squirming animal fighting with all his might.

"If you move the guard will kill you. Then Sion is as good as dead." He desperately reminded himself. "You can't do anything for him at the moment just stand still." Even so it got harder as Sion's cries became louder and more terrified. In a desperate attempt to escape Sion put his paws against the man's hand and pushed with all his might while wriggling.

"Damn it!" the guard hissed as the bunny broke free. He tumbled to the ground and shot out of sight. The guard turned his head to see where the rabbit had gone.

This was the chance Nezumi as waiting for. With the man's attention away from Nezumi, his sword relaxed slightly. Nezumi twisted his head around the sharp object and bit the man's left hand, right over his first bite mark. The man cried out in pain and dropped the sword. He wrenched his hand free of Nezumi's jaw and cradled it to his chest. Nezumi attempted to dart around the guard but before he could move, the man hit him in the chest, knocking him back. Usually the actor would be able to catch himself but with his hands tied behind his back he could do nothing but brace himself for the impact. Nezumi hit the ground hard and sprawled across the floor. He coughed up something wet and metallic tasting. He spat out the blood from his mouth and glared up at the guard. The man reached down and grabbed Nezumi by the hair.

"You'll pay for that." He growled in the dark-haired man's ears.

"How?" Nezumi challenged through clenched teeth. "I'm going to be hung. Sir William will be upset if you kill me."

"Trust me." The man's voice was cold and cruel. "Sometimes there are worst things then death." The guard smacked the dark-haired man across the face. Nezumi fell back to the ground. He could feel the man's foot pound against his back. Each hit was fiercer than the next. Nezumi grunted in pain and rolled to avoid the last kick.

"You're quite immature of a knight." Nezumi surveyed weakly. "Surely there's a code on how to treat prisoners. Your prince would be displeased." At these words the man stilled. His eyes filled with anger and he bent down and pulled Nezumi up by the front of his shirt.

"Don't you dare talk about Prince Sion!" He hissed. "Don't you dare speak of him!" He got closer to the actor's face. "I'm allow to use physical punishment if you try to escape." A cold smile crossed his face "Sir Williams knew you would."

"He was right." Nezumi said and pulled his hands out of their binding. He swung his arms around and smacked the guard's face. The man looked absolutely shocked as the sleeping powder took effect. His eyes dulled and rolled back as he staggered away from Nezumi. Once his hands released the dark-haired man's shirt, Nezumi fell to the ground with a groan. In front of him the guard keeled over and fell in a heap on the floor.

Nezumi sat there for a few seconds as he caught his breath. That had been a close call. If the man had been any less distracted, he would have noticed that the actor was twisting and turning his hands in order to get free. The dark-haired man had to dislocate one of his wrists to do so but it was worth it. With a painful hiss he pops it back into place and massaged his wrist. If there was one thing animal's had over humans was the ability to wriggle out of traps. Humans were stupid and just complied when they were caught. Nezumi however was a rat. Rats did not stay calm. Rats did not stay caught. He had known rats who gnawed off their own legs to escape captivity.

As he rubbed his wrist he looked around for Sion. At first glance the rabbit was nowhere in sight. Nezumi worried for a moment that he had left the cell. It took him a few seconds to locate the small animal. Sion had scrambled into a crack in the wall under the cell's window. He was huddled in the back of it trembling in terror.

"It's alright now." Nezumi said gently bending down next to the crack. "See it's just me." Sion leaned his head forward and sniffed Nezumi's hand. Once he identified him, he slowly and timidly left the crack. Once he was out the dark-haired man scooped him up and carried him over to the sling.

"We're leaving." He told the rabbit. "I'll make sure no one else hurts you." He slipped the bunny into the sling. Sion curled into a small ball and trembled. Nezumi could feel the small animal's heartbeat pound against his chest.

"It's going to be alright." Nezumi stuck his hand int eh sling and patted Sion's soft head. "I promise." The quivering lump relaxed. Nezumi took his hand out of the sling and turned his attention to the unconscious guard. A part of him, the human part, wanted to make the man pay. He wanted to break the man's nose or arm. That man had scared and hurt Sion. That man had beaten the actor even though he was a prisoner. Instead Nezumi stripped him the ring of keys and headed out of the cell.

It turned out that breaking from the cell was the hardest part of his escape. Once Nezumi was out of the dungeon he knew all the passageways to get through the castle without being noticed. He had slunk around the castle for months now. He knew every hall, every room, every closet and every tower . He made good time sneaking through the castle. He knew he didn't have too long until Sir Williams realized something was wrong. He had to finish his tasks and leave the castle before then.

Nezumi's first stop was the kitchen. Once he slunk inside, he located provisions for their long journey. He stole a bag that was used for kitchen supplies and began filling it up with food. He also grabbed something to eat. It wasn't until he took the first bite of cooked chicken that he realized how hungry he was. After mowing down on a quick but filling meal, he stuck some veggies into the sling for Sion and departed. It was a little harder to travel around the castle with the bunny's hungry crunches echoing around the corridor, but he made do. Sion was starving after only eating the awful prison food. He deserved a full belly as well.

The next stop was the infirmary. There Nezumi had to knock out the unfortunate nurse who had been chancing the sheets on a bed. Once she was out, he rummaged through the cabinets to get medicine and bandages. Once he filled his bad full of supplies, he took care of all his injuries. After that he took care of Sion's injuries. Helping Sion's turned out to be quite a challenge. The bunny didn't like the herbs being pressed into his cuts and he wiggled and chattered in protest.

"Oh, stop it." Nezumi scoffed. "You're the one who taught me to always clean out injuries so they wouldn't get infected." Nezumi remembered when Sion showed him how to use medicine. The prince had teased him that he didn't even know how to bandage his arm. Nezumi had sulked but didn't complain. Of all the useless human rules this one was pretty important. The memory made Nezumi's insides clench. He wanted Sion back so badly.

"Soon, you'll get him soon." His mind promised

The third stop was Sion's bed changer. There he borrowed clothes for traveling clothes. It would be a hard few days of travel and he needed the proper attire. He found a thick pair of traveling pants, a jacket over a plain shirt, and a dark clock. While he changed Sion hopped around the bed sniffing. He seemed to recognize his own scent and easily got comfortable. It took Nezumi a few tries to drag the bunny off the bed and back into the sling.

"Seriously Sion." Nezumi muttered after he got him in. "How are you still this annoying as an animal?"

The last stop was Sion's library. This was the second hardest part of his escape. The safest route to the library passed by the castle's gallows. It wasn't a route that he usually traveled, since Sion always tried to avoid it, but Nezumi knew a passage that made it easier to get there without passing the guard's posts.

As he slinked around the dark corners of the courtyard, the gallows came into view. Usually it was empty but today there was a whole lot of people gathered around. The queen sat in a royal chair under a canopy. Next to her stood Sir William. Around the two, guards were stationed and around them there were people mulling around. Although most of the people were staff and nobles there was a surprisingly large number of commoners. It seemed that many people had come to see the death of the man who killed their beloved prince.

"It's taking him quite a while," the queen eyed the knight. "Perhaps something went wrong?"

"Nezumi's probably putting up a fight." Sir William responded. "He's not one to go quietly."

"Then we should send in more guards."

"Sir John Hamton is one of the most capable men I know." The older knight paused. "However, if it takes him to much longer, I'll send in reinforcements." Nezumi cursed quietly. He knew he had only minutes left . The dark-haired man passed by them unnoticed and snuck through the library's window.

The inside of the library was exactly how he remembered it. It wasn't like it would suddenly chance now that Sion was a rabbit but seeing it so normal brought back memories. It felt like any other day in there, as if Sion would just show up and they would read together. Nezumi stood paralyzed in the middle of the room. It took him a few second to remember why he was here. He mentally slapped himself. He couldn't just lose himself in memories, he had a job to do. He needed to find the map to The Midnight Fairy Circle. Nezumi went to the section that Sion kept all his maps. He always felt that the prince had more maps then he needed there. Sion had maps of buildings, of countries, towns, mythical paces, the word, faraway lands, various buildings, and of kingdoms long lost in time. Nezumi had no idea why anyone would want so many maps. It took a while to shift through them all. Sion loved to organize his books and maps in a way that made it hard for Nezumi to find anything. The prince always said that had 'a system' so he could find everything he needed easily. The actor wished the prince had organized his room a little more typically. He made a mental note to learn Sion's system once everything was fixed. Finally, he located the map in question. He pulled it out and surveyed it. Once he got the feel for the map, he put it in the bag. He was just turning to get Sion when a loud voice yelled from outside.

"He's gone! The assassin excepted!"

Nezumi swore loudly and darted across the room. He scooped up Sion who was happily gnawing on the cover of Hamlet and deposited him non to gently back into the pouch. The dark-haired man jumped out the window and charged the old storage house. He slid inside and pulled open the trap door that was in the back. It used to be an herb cellar, but it had been long forgotten. The herb cellar had other uses as well. Long ago Nezumi guessed it was also used as an escape route in case of a fire. It had a tunnel that lead all the way to the exit of the castle.

As Nezumi softly darted through the tunnel he could hear frantic footsteps and the muffled sound of yelling above him. In his mind he made a mental check list of all the places they would search for before realizing that he escaped. First, they would check in his usual hiding places. Nezumi had purposely left some of his items in certain areas of the castle to make the allusion that he spent a lot of time there. It was a good way to keep people off his track. He used this a lot whenever he had to sneak Sion out. The knight would be too busy checking those places to realize he had already left the castle. The dark-haired man quietly thanked the fact that humans were slow learners. It had been mouths since he made those "secret hiding places" yet Sir William hadn't caught on that they were fake. On reason for this was that the knight was under the assumption that Nezumi didn't know he knew about these places.

After those places proved unhelpful, the knights would probably check Sion's library since Nezumi had lived there. There they would discover that the library was broken into. Nezumi had first planned to leave the library the way he found it, but he had run out of time thanks to Sion's stupid "system". Once they found the library trashed, they would search for whatever Nezumi had taken. This was the unfortunate part. Sir William knew Sion's system better than Nezumi. He would be able to locate the missing map must faster than the dark-haired man. After that they would head to the Midnight Fairy Circle. Nezumi would be chased all the way there. The smartest thing he could have done was to burn down the library but Nezumi didn't have the heart to do it. Not only were books precious to him but the library itself was important. It held memories of Sion in them. This library was an extension of the prince. Burning it down would be like killing a part of the white-haired man. Of course, there was always the fact that Sion would be pissed to learn that his library was gone if he was turned back into a human.

"When he is turns back to a human" Nezumi reminded himself. He had one shot at this, and he wasn't going to fail. He would do anything to return the prince to his original form. With that thought in mind Nezumi picked up his pace.

After a few more minutes of running he finally burst out of the tunnel and into the shallow part of the moat. He shivered as his boots sunk in the shallow water. This would be another challenge for him. He knew that there was a blind spot in the wall only a half a minute swim from here. The biggest problem was that to keep the guards from noticing him he would have to swim under water.

"Sorry about this." he murmured to Sion as he dove. The water was murky and cold. His body screamed in protest as he made his way through the green water. His hunger and exhaustion didn't help much. It made it difficult to keep a steady pace. Then there was Sion. The bunny kept kicking him as he attempted to escape the sling. Nezumi had to hold him with one arm as he swam. He knew Sion was panicking. There's no way to explain to a bunny that swimming under water was necessary. As far as Sion was concerned Nezumi was trying to drown him.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he reached his destination. He popped up gasping for air and dragged himself into the shadow of the watch tower. Once out of the water he rung out his clothes and hair to the best of his ability. Sion broke free of the sling and darting a few feet away coughing up water. Once he was back to normal, he shook the water from his fur and sniffed around. Then after a few seconds of shivering in the early morning air he hopped back to Nezumi. The dark-haired man looked down at the trembling bunny.

"You're not very smart are you." He grumbled. A smarter animal would have taken Nezumi's attempt to "drown" them as a threat and stayed away from the dark-haired man. Sion however was just as oblivious as an animal as he was when he was human.

"We better get moving." Nezumi said picking up the trembling rabbit and slipping him in the sling. He thought Sion would fight going back into the sling but to his surprise Sion easily went it. He shuffled around for a moment while he got comfortable before curling up.

"You know if this doesn't work, we're going to have a big problem on our hands." Nezumi informed the lump in the sling. "If I have to sent you free in the wild, you're not going to even last 2 minutes." From inside the sling came the sound of snoring. Nezumi started down at it.

"You're hopeless." He groaned. "Seriously you nearly drowned, at least show some common sense." He paused for a second before remembering that Sion couldn't respond. Nezumi almost face palmed. Of course, he couldn't, he was a dumb rabbit. Even so it was easier to talk to him as if he was listening then to face the truth that Sion could not understand nor comprehend what the dark-haired man was saying.

"I'm as bad as Cinderella." the young woman had done the exact same thing when he was a rat. Now that he was on the human side of it, he could finally understand how easy it was to project feelings onto animals.

Yelling from on top of the wall brought Nezumi back to his senses. The guards apparently found the unconscious nurse. Nezumi frowned. This wasn't the time to lose himself in thought. He needed to get to that horse. The dark-haired man crept across the shadows of the wall until the messenger's horse was visible. There was only one guard stationed next to it. Nezumi knew this would be the time to act. The guards on the wall were running around looking for him inside the castle. If he didn't move now, they might turn their attention outwards. Without making a sound the actor darted forward and wacked sleeping powder onto the man's face. The guard gasped in surprise at the sight of Nezumi before his eyes rolled backwards and he fell. Nezumi took out the knight's dagger and cut the horse loose. After that he led the horse a few feet away before hopping on. Sion had taught him how to ride a horse. It was a skill Nezumi had found ridiculous but now he understood the use of it. He hit the sides of the horse with his fee to make it move and started off down the path. He hoped the sleeping powder would keep everyone out long enough to get him a head start. He hoped he could out ride Sir William and his knights. He knew he had a long trip ahead of him, but he didn't care.

He was going to save Sion even if it cost him his life.