Chapter Text
Husk isn't sure how it happened. He doesn't want to think about how it happened. But he might an idea of how it happened.
It started when some thugs came into the hotel, for what reason was long forgotten. Charlie of course tried to settle it without violence bless her heart.
Husk, for the most part ignored the situation, if they didn't come to the bar it wasn't his problem. But he heard the cackle of a radio and his body froze. The lights flickered and suddenly he found it hard to breath and his paws began to sweat. Only one thing could make him feel this suffocating fear.
Alastor, and he was angry.
What stopped him from curling into a ball and hope it would be over soon, is that Alastors attention wasn't on Husk, it was somewhere else.
One of the safari themed thugs grabbed Niffty. No one except Charlie had any concerns over it.
"Nyhehehe bad boy." Niffty had cackled despite being held upside down by her legs. Her skirt appeared to be defying gravity but look closely and you'll be able to see tiny shadows gripping the edges of her skirt, stopping it from falling.
Alastor appeared calm, almost bored, but Husks instincts screamed at him to run away, because he knew Alastor was pissed but hiding it behind his ever present smile.
"Now hold on!" Charlie pleaded. "There's no need for violence!"
The elephant or gator or whatever, laughed. "You're wrong little Missy! There's always a need for violence!"
The other goons laughed and cheered and the hyena one holding Niffty shook her. Husk could hear a shadow hissing.
"Charlie, darling." Alastor said in his sweetly tone. "While your kind efforts is enjoyable to watch, it won't work on these nitwits."
"Nitwit?!" A zebra goon cried out. "Why I outa-" he attempted to throw a punch but Alastor ducked, and the goon toppled over. Another one tried to stab Alastor but he merely teleported right behind him and kicked his knees in. A brawl broke out with Alastor in the center, laughing his head off. "Just please don't kill them!" Charlie beseeched over the commotion.
"Ugh, ya know," Angel dust began, leaning against the bar. "These mafia wannabes put a bad rep on us real ones."
"Uh huh," Husk hummed.
"They didn't even bother to tuck in their shirts!" He complained.
"What a crime."
A goon landed in front of the bar, he pushed himself up but collapsed back down. Husk thought that looked weird, normally these guys keep going until they're dead.
Actually, all the thugs were acting weird. One got thrown but instead of getting up, he would crawl a few inches then act dead. It wasn't long until almost all of the thugs and goons surrounded the room, with Alastor in the middle. But before Husk could give it anymore thought, he saw the last thug, who was still holding Niffty, try to run for the door.
"That one's getting away!" Husk called out and Alastor twisted his neck. Immediately the thug froze. "Now- now hold on!" The hyena pleaded. "I didn't want to cause any problems!"
"Perhaps you should have told your friends that." Alastor said and brushed off his coat. "Now do us a jolly favor and get out." The thug nodded in a frantic pace and reached for the door. "Leave her."
The thug quickly looked between the door and Alastor before remembering that he was still holding Niffty. "Uh- right uh- sure." He flipped Niffty right side up and moved so, so slowly in putting her down.
One of the thugs who was "passed out" suddenly jumped up and ran towards Alastor. He spun his neck back around and grabbed the thugs arm and twisted it, with it, a nasty cracked sounded in the room and the thug fell back down, screaming and holding his now limp arm.
The thug holding Niffty almost made to the door if it wasn't for her giggling and cackling that gave him away.
Alastor decided enough was enough and summoned Nifftys chain. He gave it a yank and she flew threw the air with a "weee!" And landed in his arms.
Husk sat up slightly. He almost never uses Nifftys chain, these goons just sentenced themselves to a lot of pain.
"I was going to let you live." Alastor spoke calmly, actually calm this time now that Niffty was no longer a giddy hostage. "But it seems that your brain was smaller than I initially thought."
Niffty pouted. "Aw, but they're such bad boys."
Alastor ignored her and spoke once more. "Any last words before I tear your body to tiny pieces?" The shadows grew darker, the one behind Alastor split its mouth opened and smiled.
The thug began to shake., "i-no- we-" he sputtered as he tugged on the collar of his shirt.
Alastor titled his head. "Disappointing."
A radio sizzled to life and the shadows danced around in the room. The thug fell back and glanced around in fear and Charlie's plea for Alastor to rethink this fell on deaf ears.
A few seconds passed. Just a few seconds of the poor thug shivering on the ground in terror and a suspicious wet stain on the floor and all hell broke loose.
The goon that landed in front of the bar suddenly sat up. "Now!" He yelled and pulled something out of his jacket. The other goons sat up and reached into their jackets as well.
It's a trap.
Husks instincts took over and he grabbed Angel and pulled him over the bar.
As he took cover, Husk saw all the goons throw something at Alastor and immediately both him and Niffty were engulfed in pink smoke.
A few moments passed and the pink smoke disappeared, Vaggie peered from behind a couch she dragged Charlie to. "What was that!?" She demanded.
"Oh you think I know?" Husk retorted.
Angel poked his head up. "Are we forgetting about the elephants in the room here?" He gestured to the goons, who all have already gotten up.
Husk scanned the room and spotted Niffty first, who was still on the floor knocked out but-
Holy shit.
Angel gasping beside him told Husk he wasn't seeing things.
Because what laid before them made their jaws drop.
The pink smoke must've had something in it. Some sort of chemical or magic.
Because Niffty was taller.
Her arms and legs were longer.
..
She's taller..
Niffty. Tall.
Two words that Husk would've never linked in the same sentence.
"Ha! The thingamajig worked!" One yelled, snapping Husk out of his shock.
"Now's our chance!" One goon cheered and pulled out a knife.
"Take the girl too!" Another one added.
"Shit!" Husk said and jumped over the counter. Angel leaped right behind him while Vaggie pulled out her spear and Charlie rolled up her sleeves.
Husk threw his playing cards at one thug who attempted to grab Niffty and stepped in front of her, Vaggie swung her spear at another. "I think it's time you get out." She said.
The elephant leader merely readjusted his jacket. "Sure thing sweet cheeks, as soon as we collect our prize."
She gave a glare at the nickname. "I wasn't asking!" Goons rolled out of the way as she spun her weapon. Husk threw more cards and Angel fired his gun. Charlie picked up one up like he didn't weigh anything and tossed him onto others. "Sorry!" She exclaimed.
Fifteen minutes later, Vaggie gave the last one a kick to the back and he tumbled down the hill.
"You'll regret this!" The leader yelled. "I'll make sure you know that!"
The limped arm one coughed. "Don't worry boss, their "small" problem will keep em distracted."
The leader took in his words. Then wiped some blood off his nose, flipped off the hotel and then turned around and went away, his gang following right behind him.
Angel blew them a kiss. "Come back soon!" He flirted and then slammed the door shut.
"Ah, that was fun." Angel wrapped an arm around Husks shoulders and smirked. "How bout you an me go out for a drink?"
Husk smiled. "Sure, you can pay."
Angel gasped in a offended way and would have given a comeback if Charlie didn't scream. "Niffty!"
They ceased conversation immediately and raced over to where Charlie was kneeling down next to Niffty, who woke up and was holding her head.
Husk knelt on Niffty other side and helped her up into a seating position.
She moaned. "My head hurts." Then she glanced around the room "And why is everybody shorter?"
"Uh well-" Husk sputtered out. "The thing is- well-"
"You're taller." Angel flat out spoke.
Niffty blinked her one eye slowly. "No?" She questioned. "I'm small."
Angel shook his head and Niftty looked over to Charlie and Vaggie, who hesitantly nodded.
Nifftys hands left her head. weakly, she held out her arms to examine them then looked down to see her longer legs.
Then she screamed.
"WHO IS THIS!?"
Husk covered his ears because that girl can scream while Charlie attempted to calm Niffty down. "It's ok, it's still you, but bigger!"
"NO! I AM A SMALL PERSON!"
"We're gonna fix this, you just need to calm down!"
"FIX IT NOW! I CAN'T GO IN THE VENTS TO KILL THE ROACH MOTHERS LIKE THIS!"
Niffty shot to her feet and with shaky legs, made several steps before she fell. Angel caught her before she hit the floor. "Niff." He said sternly and grabbed her shoulders firmly. "You're taller now, deal with it."
She scowled and crossed her arms. "Fine."
"Seriously?" Vaggie said exasperated. "That's what calms her down?"
Husk shrugged. "She likes being told."
Charlie got off the floor. "I'm glad Nifftys awake-despite her- current condition. " she cringed as Niffty gave her a glare. "But has anyone seen Alastor?"
A series of no's and shrugs made her frown and fiddled with her hands nervously. "Oh no, you don't think those guys took him?"
Vaggie placed a hand on her with care. "No hun, I didn't see anyone with a deer over their shoulders, he probably went to go hide in his room."
It didn't seem to soothe her but Charlie stopped fidgeting with her hands. Angel helped Niffty stand and walked her over to a couch. "You think Smiles is bigger too?" He asked to the others.
Vaggie took her hand off Charlie so she could pinch the bridge of her nose. "Aye aye he's already got an annoyingly huge ego!"
Charlie spun on her heel and headed for the stairs. "I'm going to go look for him. Just to make sure he's ok." Vaggie grumbled and followed her up. "Pompous prick is probably fine."
Husk made his way to the couch. "Feeling any better?" He asked. Niffty shook her head. "No, there's more of me to clean now."
Husk sighed. She's gained an extra two feet and first thing she does is complain about cleaning. As far as he's concerned, she's fine.
"I'm sure you'll be back to normal in no time." He tried.
Niffty gave a stern look. "But i want to be small now."
"I can't do anything about that." He said and Niffty frowned deeper. Then she got off the couch. She almost fell but Husk and Angel grabbed an arm and helped her stand.
"Uh so- where we going?" Angel asked as Niffty used them as crutches.
"Kitchen." She merely replied.
"Uh huh-" he nodded as they walked towards said room. "Why?"
"Cleaning supplies."
"Ah."
Husk stopped. "Niff, don't you think you should sit down and rest?" He suggested.
His hand was gripped tightly. "I can see the counter, top of dressers and the ceiling. It's filthy, I'm going to clean it." Then she gripped it harder and Husk stopped himself from wincing. "Don't stop me."
He gave a quick nod and they reached the kitchen. Niffty brushed off the both of them and walked to the closet that held her supplies and raised her arms up and froze.
She groaned and lowered them. Husk realized that muscle memory made her raise her arms to open the usually too tall door.
Grumbling about how she needs to reorganize everything again she open the door and knelt down, because she kept her stuff near or on the floor, and stuffed her arms with sprays, towels and knives.
Angel leaned down to whisper. "Shouldn't we stop her or something?"
"I wish, we're gonna have to wait until she knocks herself out." Husk muttered back and crossed his arms.
"Yeah probably a good idea, you can't pick her up when she acts nuts, anymore." Angel added.
He rocked on his feet and Husk could smell the anxiety off of him. "How angry do you think Al will be?"
"Bout Niffty?" Husk placed a hand on his neck and pushed back the memories of not being able to even breath or move under Alastors wrath. "Furious."
Angel rubbed his own neck and shuddered. "Eugh."
"Can't blame him tho, I'd be pissed too." Angel then stated.
Husk huffed but agreed. "I suppose you're right."
A bang caught their attention, Niffty had dropped her things.
"You ok, Niff?" Angel asked. But she ignored him, her attention diverted elsewhere.
Then she blinked.
"YOU!" She suddenly yelled and dove under the kitchen table.
"GIVE IT BACK!" She screamed.
Husk and Angel were in confusion as they moved to pull Niffty back up. It was a fruitless effort after they both nearly lost an eye due to her frantic kicking. "YOU STOLE IT!"
"What's wrong Niffty?" Angel called out over her yelling.
"ALASTOR STOLE IT."
Husk was really confused now. Al likes Niffty too much to steal from Niffty, and she doesn't even have anything worth stealing. "What did he steal?"
Niffty rose from under the table. In her hands, being held under his arms like a pitiful sick deranged cat,
possibly the worse, most impossible, absolutely wrong, dragged from his own personal feverish hell,
Was Alastor.
With Nifftys normal height.
Husk would love to tell you that this scene was funny. That he found absolute joy with the fact that the sight of big, bad, untouchable, unfeeling, Radio Demon being picked up like a cat. (Ironic.)
He should've found it so humorous that Alastor would've had to kill him on the spot to get him to never laugh about it again.
"GIVE MY SMALLNESS BACK!" Niffty continued to yell at Alastor.
But Alastor instead of summoning his shadow, turning into his bigger form or of any typical Alastor reaction where everyone gets eaten, he starts crying.
Startled, Niffty drops Alastor and he runs to the corner of the room and curls in on himself.
"What the fuck?" Angel said astounded. "Smiles is small?!"
"He can cry?" Husk said flabbergasted.
"I-" Niffty staggered.
For a while, no one says anything. Then the sound of poorly hidden sobs are what break the deafening silence.
Before Husk could drag Angel away and go make this someone's else problem before Alastor kills everyone in this room, Angel moves and got on the floor slowly.
"Hey Al," he calls out. "You feeling ok?"
No response.
He scooted closer. "C'mon Smiles, talk to me."
Another moment of silence passes and Husk briefly wonders if they'll get a speedy death.
Then, Alastor lifted his head from where his arms were covering it.
There were three things that made Husk realize that this situation got a whole lot worse.
One. Was that there was no smile. Instead, Alastor was biting his lip as blood trickled out with tears still in his eyes.
Two. Husk was no expert on deer. But he's pretty damn sure that those little white dots that decorated Al's face were a mark that fawns and young deer have.
Three.
"W-" Alastor stuttered. "Why do you have four arms?"
Oh Crap.