Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A young man walks through a grand and luxurious hallway with a child no younger than 6 years old in his arms as the heels of his shoes click against the ground. The outside was dark with only the stars dancing alongside the moon. The planet sheds its moonlight into the hall as the stained glass majestically reflects the floor with a beautiful pattern. 

The castle stands on a proud mountain with the village below, being protected in its shadow. There is little to no light as everyone goes to sleep. Not even the howling of the wind could disturb such peace. 

The man readjusts his hold on the kid as he continues to talk to the child in a hushed voice. They would reach a room with drawings plastered all over the front. The librarian gracefully opened it with one arm before sliding in, the door shutting behind them with a soft thud. 

The ends of his skirt swayed to the side as he jostled the kid in his arms, “Alright young prince! Time to descend from the heavens and into bed!” he would playfully lift the kid before slowly placing him down onto the bed; the kid giggling all the way down. 

“Nooo, but I want to hear more! Please Mr. Tang, just one more story before bed!” the prince begs with beady eyes. 

The young librarian would only laugh, “Oh alright, as long as you promise to sleep right after!” he says while tucking the kid into bed. 

The young child beams, “Oh thank you Mr. Tang! I pinky promise!” he nods his head aggressively for emphasis. Holding the edges of the blanket closer to himself. His eyes shone in excitement whilst peeking behind the blanket. 

Mr. Tang would sit on the bed as the kid scootched over to make room for him. The librarian rummages through his arm sleeve before pulling out a book with a red cover and yellow details highlighting its bold exterior. Tang would rub away any imperfections with his wrist before opening the pages, “What do you want to hear young one?” 

“The beginning of Dad’s journey! Start at the beginning!” he was practically bouncing in his seat. 

“Okay, okay,” he chuckles before humming, “Once upon a time…” 

—-----—-----------

A pig wielding with nothing but his trusty rake and his cutlery stored away in his backpack begins his culinary journey. The pig would kiss his mother on the cheek goodbye with teary eyes before setting off on his journey to gain more knowledge in the culinary world. 

The pig would travel far and wide, taking in as much as possible from different chefs and experts within his reach. He observes and faces many difficulties along the way, but over time would becomes a culinary king. 

One day, the pig would settle in a small camp with a couple of travelers. 

He speaks to them in a gruff but mannerly voice, “Hello strangers. Mind if I uh, bucker’ down here for the night?” 

One of the campers shook their head, “We don’t mind. Although we don’t have a lot of supplies so don’t expect us to feed you or anything.” they would respond, hands crossed. 

Another camper interjects while pushing the other camper aside, “Don’t mind them– They’re always like that. We’re more than happy to share.” 

The pig waves a hoofed hand, “No need. I was planning to cook my own meal anyway.” 

The night continued as the campfire lit up the area. Voices chattering away into the night as the campers mingled with one another as they awaited for their food to boil. 

The pig was prepping his own ingredients but couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the other conversations as he lifted an ear.

“Hey, how long did you say we needed to simmer this for again?” one would ask, rubbing a finger under their chin in bewilderment. 

“Uhhh, no idea mate. Let’s just go with the flow and see what happens. The worst that could happen is setting the place ablaze so let's just make sure it doesn’t stay for too long.” another would shrug. 

The swine’s eye would twitch as the clutch around his spoon tightened. 

‘What fools!’ the pig thought. Not a single care in the world for such precious ingredients? The bastard was just going to wing it? That’s ridiculous! Thought the pig. 

But the pig doesn’t say anything as he focuses on his food. He told himself that it was just their problem, not his own. After all, he was just some random pig demon that was taking up some of their camping space, why would they listen to him? 

Minutes passed by and everyone was gathered around the campfire eating their own questionable dishes. 

The pig, on the other hand, sat to the side with a freshly made stew. He picks up a spoonful and blows away the steam but couldn’t help but feel a pack of eyes staring into his back. 

He tries to ignore them but it soon becomes evident when he hears someone’s stomach rumbling behind him. 

He clenches his teeth and whirls his head around, “Whaddya want?” he snorts annoyed. 

The closet camper jumps back startled, “S-sorry! We couldn’t help but notice how good your food smelled…” They scratched the back of their head bashfully. 

Another pipes in, they were practically drooling, “Yeah! I pride myself on my cooking skills, but your dish smells delicious!” 

The swine would stare at the dish of the one who last spoke and would raise a brow at them. The dish itself didn’t look all that bad, but it could be better. But if they were willing to listen to what he had to say, then perhaps…

Taken over by his instincts for the art of cooking he would stand up, “Alright fine, how about this. If you want some good cooking, then do exactly what I tell you.” he huffs, crossing his arms intimidatingly. 

The campers were already up, saluting, “Yes chef!” 

The sound of cutlery would fill the air as the pig supervised each and every camper. The scent of food wafted through the camp, with each newbie to their own dedicated area. 

“Hey! You set the fire too high, do you want to eat ash for dinner?!” 

“Put more strength into your strides, your chops are making the vegetables look messy!” 

“Add more seasoning to your dish! It’s just going to come out bland like an unborn baby!” 

He would discipline the campers with a twirl of a spoon. A harsh snark in his voice every time he catches them missing any details. Shouts of “Sorry chef!” and “My apologies!” can be heard. But he wasn’t all bark either, 

“Hey this isn’t so bad, the broth is just about right.” 

“Good work on the rice! Make sure to fluff it for maximum texture.” 

“Good use of seasoning! I might even learn something myself.” 

It wasn’t long until the heat died down and everyone placed their dishes on a long table. The campers stood idly, with some biting their nails in anticipation as the pig slowly approached the table for judging. 

He takes a whiff of each and every one of them as he closes his eyes. 

He slams his hands on the table. Everyone around him jumped at the sudden sound. All of them collectively thinking that they were going to get an earful of scolding. 

One camper bravely stood up, “Uh... chef? Is it not to your liking?” 

The swine still hunched over with his palms flat on the table, remained silent. Suddenly he could be heard chuckling. A small rumble comes from his stomach, but he then lets out a pig-like squeal of laughter as he snorts, wiping away tears, “These are great! All of you did good. Now stop standing around and dig in!” 

The campers erupted in cheers as they grabbed their dishes. All of which, were being infatuated by their skills sowed from their earnous work. 

Campers would share and compare their recipes with one another. Chattering away as they joyfully ate. 

The pig would rub his nose proudly before turning to his own dish, which had long gone cold by now. He slightly deflates at the sight. But as he was picking it up, he felt someone placing a hand on his shoulder. 

A camper, straining a hopeful smile, “Um, Mr.Pig, sir, would you like to share with any of us instead?” they would eagerly invite him. 

The swine blinks before cracking a grin, 

“Pigsy. Just call me good ol’ Pigsy.” 

Soon, word spread of a great swine whose cooking was so enticing that it could turn newbies into newborn experts with a flick of his wrist. Of course, these rumors were just blown out of proportion. That would require years of experience to reach such high levels of expertise. But the pig’s dishes soon became well known for their heavenly flavor. 

Chefs and nobles from all around would gather to form a study group with the pig, nicknaming him ‘The Culinary King’ as the years stretched on. He would soon settle down with others settling down alongside him. 

From then on, those tents turned into houses. Then those houses would turn into a small village. That small village would then soon grow into a prosperous kingdom, sprouting as the center of the culinary world. That kingdom would soon gain the name Megapolis. 

Pigsy on the other hand had no idea his teachings would lead to such a prosperous place, and was even more surprised when he figured out that his buddies built an entire castle just for him. Truth be told, it was more like the role of ‘king’ was forced upon him. But with a heavy sigh and a lot of convincing from his cooking pals, he took on the role with a stern expression in hopes of spreading more knowledge about the ways of cooking. 

He was, as expected, not a great ruler. He wasn’t used to the fancy manners that were being showcased by the nobles and was severely undereducated in areas like politics or economics. 

To add to the pig’s troubles, neighboring kingdoms were starting to take notice of this nation that had seemingly sprung out of nowhere. Making him an easy target for greedy kings or queens to conquer such wealth. 

Not wanting to bring harm to the people who were now under his protection, he would use the power that was granted to him through wealth. Pigsy would hire professionals in financing, political advisors, and mercenaries who would soon become royale guards. The path to that of a true king was a long and treacherous one. 

He would face obstacles ranging from backstabbers to assassination attempts. But as time moved along, so did the pig’s knowledge. He would educate himself on more than just food and would learn the ways of speaking. He picks up on tricks that allow him to discern from the innocent to the untrustworthy. Keeping his friends close, but his enemies closer. 

The pig establishes trade with other nations. Offering wealth and food in exchange for protection from other power-hungry kingdoms. 

The kingdom grew in strength, and the swine became well known not only as the Culinary king. But also as the stubborn pig who persevered through it all. 

—-----—-----------

The young librarian would softly close the book as he turned to the young child who was soundly asleep. He gently brushed aside strands of hair that dangled in front of the young prince’s face. 

Not making a sound, he would stride across the room and make his way back into the hallway. The door slowly closed behind him softly, Tang would let out a sigh of relief for successfully putting the youngster to sleep. 

He begins to walk away but he suddenly hears the sound of clothes rustling from behind him. 

Whipping his head around in alarm, he finds himself bewildered. His eyes wander down the empty hall. Searching for sudden intruders that might’ve broken in. But he finds nothing as he lets out a heavy sigh of relief. Although still wondering why he heard the sound, he chalks it up to the lack of sleep or the possibility of a knight patrolling down a couple of halls. 

While still being wary, he turns away to head back to his chambers. Seemingly unaware of the lingering smile that emerged from his shadow. 

—-----—-----------

Chapter Text

“The prince! The prince is missing!”

Shouts would erupt throughout the castle, shaking it to its very core. Guards could be seen frantically searching through every crook and cranny as search parties were made. With some searching in the royal kitchen, all the way down to the hidden passageways. 

As time progressed, the more restless the king grew from worry. 

“Where could he have possibly gone? Such a young child couldn’t have wandered off that far, right?” one of the guards whispered to another, “I mean I know this place is huge but we’ve searched everywhere!” 

“I know! Do you think something might have happened last night?” another one inquires. 

“I hope not… The prince is a really sweet kid. I can’t imagine the horror if something were to happen to him.” a third knight replied worryingly. 

“Are you three going to continue screwing around or are you going to help search!?” a sudden voice tears through the knight’s conversation as they jump back in surprise. 

Pigsy with his arms crossed, stood furiously before the trio. His eyes seething from rage as he glared the guards down with the aura of a demon. Which unironically made sense, but didn’t make it any better for the poor knights. 

“Of course Your Highness! Please forgive us!” the knights instantly bowed before the swine, “It's just–” 

One of the knights interrupts, “We’ve searched high and low for the prince, but we can’t seem to find him anywhere!” 

The knight next to the one who interrupted, roughly shoulders them. The two exchange looks before noticing Pigsy’s flaming expression and then lowering their head in apologies. 

“Well maybe instead of chattering away like a bunch of mice, you would’ve found something by now! So stop wasting my time or you’ll be cleaning the stables!” the pig roared furiously. 

“As you command!” The knights diligently but also slightly terrified of the pig’s wrath, quickly saluted before running off. 

The king, now cooling down from scolding the knights, would let out a heavy sigh. 

His expression changed from the fury of a thousand men to that of a wary father whose stress was getting the better of him. His brows creased as he pressed his fingers against his forehead. 

“You work them too hard Pigsy, you should try being nicer.” A resolute voice would emerge from behind him. 

Already recognizing the smooth tone of the royal advisor, Pigsy would turn with a gloomy expression, “I know, it’s just– I worry for the kid, that’s all.” he would huff, looking to the side guiltily. 

Tang, making his way toward the pig, places a comforting hand on his shoulder, “We’ll find him eventually.” 

The pig would hum softly before placing a hooved hand over the librarian’s, “I hope so.” he grumbled somberly. 

Already feeling a pang of guilt, Tang would speak with a wistful tone, “I'm sorry Pigsy, I should’ve listened to my instincts. I heard something last night, but when I turned around, there was nothing there,” he shook his head, frustrated with himself over the whole ordeal. 

“Hey, we already talked about this,” the pig snorted, “While I am still mad at you for not telling me sooner, what's done is done. The only thing we can do now is continue searching.”

Tang nodded his head solemnly. 

Their hands would fall together in place as they continued looking. 

—-----—-----------

Deep within the depths of the castle’s dungeons, a certain six-eared figure would emerge out of the dark, with one arm wrapped around a child as they dangled by his side. 

Speaking of said child, the young boy hung by his side like a set of clothes drying out on a rack. He showed no signs of struggling but would occasionally tilt his head to the side to get a good look at his kidnapper. Rather than looking scared, he wore a curious and seemingly unbothered expression. 

“Mr. Shadow Man, where are we going?” the child questioned the simian. Whom of which, was slipping past a couple of guards.  

In response, one out of six of the kidnapper’s ears flicked in his direction, “Uhh kid, do you even know where I’m taking you right now?” the man would speak as soon as the guards were out of sight. His voice was smooth but deep at the same time. 

It had a nice ring to it, thought the prince. 

“Hmmm… are we going outside!?” the kid sparkled at him, clearly not aware of the situation he was in. Probably more excited about the idea of touching grass outside of the palace. 

“Sureee..” the figure drawled out sarcastically, expression contorted in confusion before turning back to the task at hand. 

The simian traced his hand across a stoned wall as he felt around the rough texture before stopping. After a few seconds, a click was heard from underneath his fingers as the wall opened up before them. 

“Woahh, I’ve never seen this before!” the child beamed in awe, “How many secret passageways do you think the castle has?” 

At this point, the prince was practically radiating an innocence that could outshine the sun. 

Flinching and narrowing his eyes away from the child’s blinding light, he awkwardly laughs, “I’d say about twenty of them,” he responds with a bold face-lie before slipping into the darkness as the wall closes behind them. 

The time would tick by as the simian navigated through the dark passageway. The only sound of their occasional chatter would break the silence.   

“How can you see in the dark? I can’t even see anything.” the prince would narrow his puny eyes trying to adjust to the dark, but to no avail. 

“I just work well with shadows kid, it's two and two.” the figure huffed.  

The kid would tilt his head curiously, “Huh. I guess that makes sense… Well, my name is MK by the way. What’s yours? It be pretty weird to call you Mr. Shadow Man the entire time. But I mean, unless you like that name, I can keep calling you that!” the kid happily yapped away. 

He opened his mouth to answer but would stop himself, “Sure, let’s go with that.” the six-eared simian shrugged. 

“Well ok, Mr. Shadow Man!” MK would beam, “Where are we going anyways? No– Wait… let me guess…” the kid would place his hand under his chin in deep contemplation before shaking his head, “Never mind, I don’t know a lot of places now that I think about it.” 

“The black market.” the shadowed figure sarcastically spoke in a spooky tone while making the quotation hand gestures.  His expression was playful and casual. He was half expecting the kid to start crying and sobbing at the sudden realization. 

Or so he thought. 

The prince would squint his eyes, “What’s that?” 

You got to be kidding me. 

The simian stuttered awkwardly, “It’s uh… A name for one of the playgrounds. Yeah, that– you’ll love it,” he replied quickly. 

“I don’t know what that is either,” the kid blinked, with more confusion etched into his expression. 

The Mr. Shadow Man paused, “Er– Have you really never been to a playground before?” he would glance down at the befuddled child. 

“Nope.” the kid simply shrugged despite being in an awkward position of being tucked under the man’s arm. 

The simian’s expression changed from a guy who was trying to catch himself to genuine concern. How long have they kept this kid cooped up in the castle? If they were to ask any other kid if they wanted to go to the ‘playground’ they would practically be jumping for joy. This kid on the other hand sounded like he had never been on a swing his entire life. 

The simian would start awkwardly, “Well… it’s this place where other kids hang out and play. Y’know since it’s called a ‘playground’ and all.” he explained, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. 

“Woahh, I get to meet other kids?!” the kid eagerly stared up at him with bright eyes. 

‘Wow.’ was the only word that traveled through the guy’s head as he responded, “Sure we can kid, I did say we were going to one.” the simian would stiffly laugh before pausing. 

Hold on a second, why was he making empty promises to this kid? He’s supposed to be a kidnapper for crying out loud! He's kidnapping the prince of the wealthiest kingdom! He is literally slinging the kid under his arm without a care in the world and this child is alarmingly oblivious to the danger he is in. 

He could be overthinking this, but maybe the kid was just really good at acting and he was just stupid. 

“Do you think you can do a backflip in the dark?” the kid wondered aloud. 

 He takes it back. 

—-----—-----------

Kid still hanging from under his arm, the simian would brush past a couple of villagers as he made his way through the marketplace. The villagers he passed by would give him questionable stares but would continue with their day. Almost as if it were normal to carry around a child the way he did. 

And why was no one realizing that he was holding the prince?

Well, said prince was wrapped in a ragged brown jacket that had seen better days with holes scattered at the ends of the hem. But if you were to ask the six-eared figure, he would say even without the poorly put-together disguise, he doesn’t think anyone would even realize that the child under his arm was the prince.

Sure, there were some rumors about a newly appointed prince going around, but no one had even gotten the chance to greet the royal prince up close. Above all, some people went as far as to assume that the prince was a piglet or something along that line.

Considering that their king was a pig, you would think that his offspring would have some sorta trait that resembled a pig. So who would’ve thought that the prince was just your ordinary human child? 

Speaking of said child, “WOAHH, is this what the village looks like?! It's so crowded! I’ve never seen this many people in one place before!” the kid shouted excitedly. 

He heard himself audibly sigh as he readjusted his hold on the kid, “Try to keep your voice down, you wouldn’t want to be sent back to the palace, would you?” he inquired. 

Wait, why was he asking that question? Of course, the kid was going to want to go back–

“Oh- Sorry! I’ll be extra quiet!” The prince would quickly raise his hands to cover his mouth. Promptly shutting himself up, he looked around suspiciously. 

The simian felt his eye twitch as he continued to maneuver his way through the crowd. 

The marketplace was lively and bustling. Villagers would be seen trading or looking around the stalls that flooded the area. Some would be bargaining with one another, buying groceries, or just making small talk. 

As expected of the typical morning chatter. The simian droned out the noise, using a type of magic that allowed him to dim down his hearing to avoid getting overwhelmed. At first, it was uncomfortable, but after years of usage, he’s gotten used to it and found peace in the background noise. 

He felt a tug at his shirt as he looked down to find the kid staring up at him, “Can we get a snack? I’m hungry.” 

He clicked his tongue as he shook his head, “Sorry kid, but we’re kinda on a time crunch,” he replied. 

Mk would pout, placing his hands together pleasingly, “Pleaseeee? I haven’t eaten anything since I woke up, and Dad says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” the prince practically begged. 

He groaned, feeling slightly guilty for the child since technically it was his fault for abducting the kid at such an ungodly hour. But you can’t necessarily blame him either, since he originally was just finding the most convenient time to snag the kid.

And it just so happened to be early morning, when the guards were half asleep and switching rounds. 

The black-furred simian narrowed his eyes towards a stall before smirking, “How about this,” he offered, “If you got any money on you; you can pay for your own meal.” 

“Money?” the child bit the lower part of his lip nervously as he felt around his jacket for scraps, “Uhh… I got this?” he pulled out a silver cap and handed it to the other. 

Mr. Shadow Man would eye the cap observantly. From the looks of it; it was just your typical bottle cap you’d find off the shore of beaches. It had no worth whatsoever, which was… disappointing to say the least, since the simian was half expecting the kid to be loaded, considering his father’s wealth.  

He heard a low rumble from under his arm as he glanced at the kid. Whom of which, was staring up at him with beady eyes. 

Not wanting to starve the kid any longer, he sighs before shrugging, “Eh, I'll take it.” he states, flipping the cap in the air and then catching it with the flick of his wrist.

Arm still wrapped around the kid, he approached the food stall as the simian ordered a kid-sized meal with his own money. He ignored how the stall owner looked at him weirdly as they handed him the box. 

Finding a secluded area, he finally sets the kid down to take a seat. He sets his tail firmly but carefully wrapped around Mk’s waist to prevent him from running.

Well, not like he was going to anyway. The prince didn’t even bat an eye. He seemed more engrossed in the miniature-sized meal box as he opened it up to be hit with an aroma of wonderful smells. 

The kid was practically drooling as he took a bite out of an octopus-shaped hot dog. He squealed in delight while also kicking his little feet in joy. 

The child would take a toothpick and poke the little hot dog before offering it to the simian, “Want one?” he tilts his head. 

The other would hesitate, his eyes slightly widening before taking the toothpick in his hands, “Thanks.” he simply mumbles.

The six-eared figure stared at the item as his eyes slightly fluttered at the sight. His vision replaces the octopus-shaped hot dog with a peach sitting in the palm of his hands. He sucks in a breath as he swiftly raises his head to find another monkey replacing the kid. 

“Here you go bud! The ripest one I could find, just for you!” 

He opens his mouth to speak but finds the prince blinking at him curiously with the tilt of his head, “Something wrong?” Mk would ask through a mouthful of rice. 

The simian’s expression would form into a deep frown as he shook his head, “Nothing.” 

He eats the small hot dog in one bite before promptly dropping the toothpick into his pocket for safekeeping. Not really sure why he wasn’t throwing it away. 

He sullenly rested his chin on his hand, with one leg lifted on his seat nonchalantly as he observed the seemingly peaceful scenery. Watching as villagers passed by like a pack of fish. Waiting as the little prince continued to eat. 

—-----—-----------