The Last Rabbit Prince

The Nightmare

If Rain thought that coming to the village would immediately set things in motion, he was sadly mistaken. He met with P'Pakin and his right-hand man P'Chai. Rain found both men to be scary and a bit intimidating.

Their advice was basically to send out scouts to find out what was happening in local villages while they worked on a plan. Meantime Rain was told he should work on learning magic. He is given a stack of books and told to study the theory and the history of magic. Sky and P'Phayu volunteer to tutor him.

The bunny tries to move as quietly as possible. It's not easy, bunnies aren't exactly built for stealth but it does its best. It moves up on its target by taking a few hesitant hops then stopping when the target's ears twitch its way. When the target relaxes it takes a few more hesitant hops. It manages to get within range of its target this way. Just as it's ready to attack, the sleeping cat raises its head and hisses.

Sky looks up from the book he is reading and says, "Rain, leave him alone."

"How did you know?" Rain says a little sulkily.

Sky rolls his eyes, "because you always tried the same thing when we were children. You are supposed to be studying, you have fourteen years worth of lessons to make up."

"But it's boring," Rain whines.

"Rain," P'Phayu says coming in, "How are you supposed to rule a country if you can't even take time to study your lessons. Think of this," he taps the book Rain is supposed to be reading, "as the foundation to build a house or in this case a country."

"Can't I learn to fight or something? Using a sword would be so cool." Rain swings his hands as if he is holding a sword. "Or maybe I could learn to fight with magic?"

Phayu laughs at this, "Of course I will teach you to defend yourself, little bunny." Rain brightens at this, "Once you have learned your lessons."

Rain grumbles something low underneath his breath that sounds suspiciously like, "acting like a daddy." and sulkily opens the book.

There seems to be some sort of celebration taking place in the village. Gun raises an eyebrow at the music and the cheering crowds. He stops his men outside the village and sends his snake, to see what is going on. Everywhere people are whispering that the Rabbit Prince has returned. That soon he will take his throne back. That the usurper Korn will be cast down.

Gun grins with satisfaction. Time to send a message to this so-called prince and his followers.

"Burn everything," he tells his men. "Leave a few people alive to spread the message that anyone caught celebrating the return of the prince will meet the same fate."

"Is that wise?" Stop asks, "Won't that drive more people to follow the prince?"

"They won't dare," Gun says. "These people aren't that brave. Grind them down enough and they will break. You will see."

That night Rain has the dream but for the first time it's clear.

Five year old Rain wakes and can hear a distant scream that sounds like a woman. He shivers and wishes P'Phayu was there with him. They are normally always together going between his home at the castle and P'Phayu house at the village. Their parents joke that this is so neither family will forget what their sons look like.

Tonight however, Rain is alone because P'Phayu has been suffering a small fever for the past two days. Nothing concerning but he didn't want to risk Rain catching it as well.

There is another scream and this one is close. Rain gets out of bed and summons his bunny more for company than anything. He pushes open his door and now the sounds are clear, not just screams but clashing metal. There is a smell too, a coppery smell that Rain thinks is blood. He goes down the small hall outside his room and makes his way to his parents room. There he sees his parents lying too still and there is so much blood. That's when Rain wakes automatically putting his hand over his mouth to hold back the scream.