Happy December everyone! XD
Ok, before we start, I have news. Like, BIG news! So, not long ago, I posted on one of my stories that I'm adopting a wallaby, right? And that it's coming in January?
I WAS WRONG! Apparently, the baby took it's first venture out of the pouch today, and the owner of her mother said she's already big and perfectly healthy, which means she gets to either come home next weekend or the weekend after that! :D Yay! I'm so happy! :D :D :D Be happy with me!
Ok, now on with the story! XD
Squint was fuming. For a tiny five year old rabbit kit, he had quite the temper. He knew he was small, but for some reason Gupta saw it fit to tease him about it every chance he got, and he got a lot of chances. This time he'd taken his knife and taunted him, holding it just out of his reach and making him jump for it. He loved his older brothers, but they were so mean sometimes. The tiny child sniffled and quickly swiped at his eyes, feeling them well up again. "It's not fair…" he muttered. Why did they always have to pick on him?
He was so caught up in his own thoughts he didn't notice the thing laying in his path until he tripped on it. "Ow!" sitting up he rubbed his scraped up arm and turned around. He came face to face with a big pair of golden eyes, staring straight at him. Squeaking in surprise, he tumbled back, scrambling away, not sure what the creature in front of him was. It was purple with light grayish violet stripes, and a crea colored tummy, long floppy ears hanging on the back of it's head. It was reaching it's clawed hands that were nearly as big as he was at him and…
"Hey!" he got up indignantly, glaring at the whatever-it-was. All he knew was it was much bigger than he was, and it was laughing. "It's not funny!"
The unknown-to-him baby just continued giggling, overjoyed to see something that wasn't a dragon or gryphon. She liked her mother's subjects and all, but they were all just so big. Being a seven month old kangaroo joey, she was miniscule in comparison to them. yet they bowed to her and her mother's power, her magical Scepter being the source of their life. The Scepter had given her mother unbelievable powers; she could alter the weather to her likes, make food appear, and she could change her form to anything at will; but she always returned to her Australian one at some point. It was her favorite form, and as that was her form when her daughter was born, that was what little Raz would be until she was old enough to hold the Scepter in her own hands and rule over the gryphons and wield magic unlike any other. She'd seldom seen other creatures before; Kari kept her tucked away in the cave most of the time to keep her safe from Kertenkele's clutches and anything she might try. For if the Dragon Queen got her hands on the little Princess… well, she was the only one that could hold the Scepter once becoming a woman, and Kari couldn't live forever. If the Dragon Queen could get to her, and influence her, one day she'd bring the downfall of the gryphons.
Once, her mother had let her play on the grass under the watchful eye of ten of her best warriors, and she'd spotted a butterfly. The pretty insect had come up to her and she admired it for a while… before Alev crushed it. He said anything could be a trick from Kertenkele and they were to lit nothing close to the Princess. Two mice and a ladybug lost their lives that day, and Raz had been returned to her mother in tears. It wasn't a happy memory.
But now… there were no warriors. No one to guard her. And this thing was staring right at her, and it was talking to her!
"I mean it! S'top!" he stomped up to her, till their faces were an inch apart. Oddly enough, the other creature suddenly emitted a high pitched squeal and before he knew what was happening, he was being squeezed. And hard! Whatever this thing was, it had a strong grip. And it was still giggling!
"Ack!" he squirmed. "Hey! Let go!"
Raz didn't listen. She just continued her overjoyed bubbly laughing, hugging her new 'friend' as hard as she could. Her mother hugged her all the time, but it still felt nice to give a hug for once!
Squint whimpered. "I can' breathe…"
"Eh?" there was a blur of movement, and the other animal sat up. Happy golden eyes stared down at him, a toothless smile adorning the other face. Wait a minute…
Squinting up at her, he realized "Hey, where're yer teeth?"
"Heh?"
At the questioning sound, he scrunched up his face. "What, ya don't know howta talk er somethin?" her head tilted to the side. "Wai' a minute, you don't?" she simply babbled in response, hugging him again and humming happily. When she set him down in her lap again, feeling squished, he looked her over. Judging by her doey eyes, lack of speech, gummy smile, and sucking on her thumb… "Yer jus'a a baby, huh?"
She didn't answer (not that he expected her to), just continued smiling at him. "Well… then where's yer mama?" he failed to notice her eyes tearing up at the mention of her mother. He suddenly gasped. "Were ya 'bandoned? Like me?" in a way, he hoped she was, because that would mean…
"Ya wanna come home with me?" as he looked up, a drop of warm water plipped onto his face. Another tear slid down her face, this time landing between his eyes. More quickly followed, and before he knew it, the baby was sobbing and wailing, big (in comparison to him) crocodile tears raining down from her face.
"Uh, um" he glanced around. He hadn't meant to make her cry! "Don't cry, don' cry! It's ok! Uh…" she sniffled, eyes focusing on him, though tears still running down her face, lip trembling. "I'll, um… don't worry! Don' be sad… uh…" he searched frantically for something, anything, to cheer her up. The last thing he needed was to have to leave this crying baby girl here all alone when Captain called him back. That would no doubt be soon- the sun was quickly setting. It wouldn't be long before
"Squiiiiiiint!"
"Uh oh" he groaned. "That's my brother. If 'e sees you-"
"Squint, where are you?!"
He could see her interest was piqued, perhaps he could use that to his advantage. "That's my brother, Gupta. He's not very nice, but y'll like 'im. Prob'ly." She giggled, clapping her tiny hands.
"So" he climbed up into her lap again. "What we gonna call you?"
Maybe it was an answer, maybe it wasn't, but right then the baby clumsily removed something from her head, a little circlet of something shiny and silver. "Ooh…" holding it out to him, he inspected it; nothing, just inscriptions of flowers and jewels- wait! Squinting and bringing it closer to his face, he saw three tiny letters carved on the inside. "R… A… Z." at least, he thought that's what it said. "R… Raaaz?" she clapped her hands. "Wait, Raz? Is that yer name?" she giggled, bobbing her head, whether in joy or as an answer he could hardly. "Well, ok then, Raz. My name's Squint." She grinned.
"Squint! C'mon, it's time ta go! I'm sorry ok?"
He ignored the calls, climbing up on her shoulder. "So, what are ya anyway? I'm a pirate." Se didn't answer.
"C'mon already! I won't take yer knife anymore! I promise!"
"Yeah right… ya know he said that the last four times?" again she laughed.
"Squint! Captain says ve are leaving! Now!"
"You gotta find me first!"
No sooner than he said that, a blur of black shot out of the grass and tackled him. "Lemme up!" he complained, squirming under his much bigger, but not much older, brother, who had him pinned. "Let gooo!"
"Magic words!"
"No!" he tried to cross his arms. "I'm not sayin em!"
A whimper made them both look up. Little baby Raz still sat there, though with tears brimming in her eyes at watching her new friend being 'threatened'. "Aw c'mon, lemme up! Yer gonna make 'er cry again!"
Gupta, at seven, looked the baby up and down curiously. "Who's she?"
Squint beamed, pushing him off and going up to perch on her shoulder. "She's gonna be our new sister."
There! Now, I'm debating if there should be a part 3, with her coming home and meeting the rest of the crew, or go back to seeing Zalim and Opal and Lela. Thoughts on that, anyone?