FD: One Shots and Extras

Waking up (part 1

Authors Note: This happens before the events of the FD series. Waking up will have more parts. 

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It was the same each day. Hide. Hunt. Hide. Sleep. On occasions she'd steal from a campsite, or bless a kind man but for the most part it was dreary. The trees looked the same. The moon rose the same. The solitary confinement remained the same.

She didn't belong in the village. She hardly remembered why, but she knew it meant danger. There was only one place she'd visit in the village sometimes and that was only to bless. A sack swung in the air while being carried by Violet's teeth. Her ears twitched as she heard chatter. She looked up at the moon and crouched behind the bushes. The lamps shouldn't have been on for much longer.

Once silence draped itself around the common place of Rhionine she continued forward. It was an old house with a thatch roof. The grass in the yard was overgrown, perfect to give her a hiding spot. Despite the long years, the empty house was well kept giving her a sense of peace. She turned around the corner and slipped past the back, before dropping her gift at the back door.

"Hey." She whipped her head to see a tall, old, dark skinned man in simple clothing. It was late. What was he doing here?

Violet curled her lip baring a few of her teeth. She let out a light growl and spread her legs as a warning.

The man immediately lifted his hands in surrender. "Not a hunter. You know me well enough." Did she? Violet decided to take his word for it and hesitantly sat on the ground. The man slowly lowered his arms and slumped. "You know me, don't you?"

Violet continued to stare at him. She had been blessing this man for as long as he could remember. He had never been a threat to her. Something inside told her that he was special and needed to be protected, but as the years went by she knew she was losing touch of that intuition. He lowered his head. "Please stay." He reached into his pocket and pulled out some foreign human food before holding his hand out to her. "Please."

Her tail straightened between her knees as she approached. She sniffed his hand, she was sure she knew that scent! She looked up at him again. Who was he? She looked toward the side, still hesitant to accept the gift in such a personal way. The man slowly brought his hand to the ground. "Better?" She huffed slightly but licked the stranger's hand.

It was good! She couldn't help but eat the treat enthusiastically and quickly look up for more. He chuckled and reached into his pocket again before offering. "I've been practicing. I've wanted to make it just like mamma used to." Violet stopped eating as her core tightened. She whipped her head toward him and growled. "My mother. Of course." He added calmly. She felt breath come back and slowly lowered her head once more to finish accepting her gift.

He sighed. "I did it. I finally was able to get you a full pardon." Violet finished up her snack and tilted her head as she stared at him. She could see his eyes grow shinier as his adam's apple bobbed. "They won't hunt you anymore." She could sense he was holding his breath. Why was he so sad? She came forward and rubbed her head against his shoulder. Tears fell from his eyes though he seemed to ignore it and continue giving her attention instead. "It's okay." He whispered. "I'm okay." He gently pressed his hand against her cheek. She felt his heartbeat quicken, things weren't okay. He sighed and looked up at the stars. 

His tears tore at her heart. She wasn't sure if she could withstand him crying. She backed away and pulled her bag with her teeth. He opened it to see a freshly caught rabbit and a stolen scarf. He chuckled and wiped his tears before smiling. "Where did you take this from? Naughty girl." He patted her head. He wrapped the scarf around his neck and rubbed her behind the ears.

As wonderful as it felt, she couldn't enjoy it. She let out a whine and laid on the ground before placing her head on his lap. He continued his smile and rubbed her back. "Do you understand? You're free now." She continued to stare at him, but he just held his head high and avoided her gaze. He sniffled. He was trying to hold it in.

"Please come to the palace with me tomorrow." He whispered. "I need to take you to the king so he can give you the conditions of your freedom."

Come to the palace? She whined and shivered at the thought. He wasn't asking her to come to the village. He wasn't asking her to come in plain sight. He was asking her to go to her executioner. The man kissed her head. "Please. You'll be able to come back." He looked her in the eyes. "You can move on. I'll protect you. I promise. They'll harm you over my dead body." She took a few steps as he gently took her cheeks. "Violet. Please."

She couldn't get the tears stains out of her mind. This was a grown man, why was he crying? She laid on the ground. An uneasy feeling didn't let her leave. She closed her eyes tight before crawling onto his lap. She was trusting him with her life. She didn't understand it but she hoped the mysterious connection they had would make it worth it.