Chapter Text
A single stick’s crack thundered across the burning village. Cascading flames ripping the valley homes into smithereens of their former selves. Tarred cake, gingerbread, and wheat laid in his path, crumbled in black puddles. The surrounding mountains watched on as the society burned to the ground.
But they hadn’t done this.
“Licorice, I’m going ahead.”
He let out a huff.
“WAIT- we don’t know what happened here, we should report..” The man was gone, “this.”
His prized Chiffon tracked ahead with the rest of the small hound squad, bred especially for tracking. Their noses tracing, an almost faint smell that he could barely catch.
But from the little he got of it, it was strawberry.
He followed the squadron to a home that caught the least flames, half of it still managing to stand.
Inside was the corrupted life of whoever was left, domestic and calm. A wheat barrel serving as a living room table, pottery laid cracked on the dirt floor. Chiffon suddenly alerted, their bark snapping him from the thoughts.
Red Jam streaked across the floor, leading his eyes away from the comforting background to a broken window. Below laid remains of a corpse, charred from the spreading fire unrecognizable except for the tell tale pink hair.
He sighed, in their own home too.
Even as he was a conqueror's monster, this was not the way to violently. If they could not pass on the battle field why excessively kill.
A wail strangled what silent air remained.
It came from a spot squeezed by a mattress and a wall. A small cart covered barely by a burned blanket. Stained by the falling ash of the crumbled building. He reached around his side, grabbing the hilt of his blade. It could be a trap after all.
Red Velvet stepped over to the crate, boot step after boot step, taking a sideways lean. His hand trailing the top of his knife.
Chiffon stood behind him, but came around as he released the blade's knob.
“Chiffon. It seems we have a survivor.”
He kneeled by the crate, being greeted by two little wavering hands.
The baby before him was wrapped in restraining pink blanket. Barely a smidge of hair contrasted his clear face. There was something missing from the boy, a crucial yet momentary sparkle. None had remained for quite a long time from what he could tell. The child quivering and shaking as he picked him out of the rubble. The blanket unfurling, his claw lifted the shredded shawl of the little one, hoisting him like a kitten dangling from his scruff. The child let out a pouty whine, accompanied by a quick screech of shock. After the wail subsided, he brought the child close to his chest, scooping his legs up over his arm.
“Hush.”
He grumbled.
The child softly whimpered, letting out a quiet sniffle before going silent. Resting almost asleep in his monster claw. He gave Chiffon a signal to grab the fallen blanket, picking it up in their mouth. Going back out of the house to see Licorice finally in the burned town. He went over to him, cradling the child softly.
“Good pup.”
He patted the babies back.
“What is that thing-“
The other man shuddered as he took a look at the stray child. He extended his arm out to bop its nose.
“Don’t be an idiot, it’s merely a baby.”
Red Velvet snarled, his free hand catching Licorice.
“Ow! Ow! Fine, why bring it though?”
“I don’t kill those who can’t defend themselves, nor do I leave them without caretakers.”
He huffed, readjusting the sleeping baby.
“We are not- Do you even know how mad Dark Enchantress will be?”
He pouted.
“I’m her son of course, I know better than anyone else.”
“Concerning.”
Licorice recoiled, bringing his spindly arms back under his coat.
“It’s your responsibility.”
“He is-“
He stumbled over the words, was he sure he wanted to take a baby? He'd be no better a person if he did or didn’t in the eyes of his mother. But there was something that he couldn’t leave behind.