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It was Ruggies first real break since becoming Leonas royal advisor.
A full day off where he was going back to slums.
Not most people's idea of a vacation he’ll admit, but after months stuck in a palace surrounded by snobby nobles and guards eyeing him like he was a common thief (which rude , he was an extraordinary thief, thank you very much) time back home would feel like a needed return to normal, even if for only a short while.
Besides, he missed his gramma.
Ruggie had the royal carriage driver stop just short of the slums instead of directly in front of his house like when he was picked up all those months ago. While usually not a hard task to achieve, especially when the man had obviously never been south of downtown, the very healthy fear of the royal lion's orders to bring the second prince's advisor to an exact address caused some convincing to be needed. Eventually though the fear of the slums and a small amount of money was all it took for Ruggie to hop out onto the very edges of the outskirts of the city.
Back at the palace while working with the prince in the cool dark room of his private study Ruggie had privately worried he was becoming too soft and was now unsuited to understand the community he had been raised in. Now though, as he ducked and weaved through throngs of people, slapping away grabby hands reaching for his wallet (as if he was stupid enough to leave his real wallet in his pocket) Ruggie finally felt like he could breathe. All fears of inadequacy melted away in the hot sun as he was finally back in his element. Here he wasn't the second prince's slum cat who was in over his head, here he was the top dog, the alpha predator. Here he was home.
Speaking of, he finally came across the dilapidated house his gramma had lived in her entire life. Thirsty flowers sat on sagging sills in front of cracked panes, the door was open to try and let a nonexistent cool breeze in, and the smell of curry cooking on the wood stove brought back memories of hungry childhood.
Ruggie smiled as he stepped inside calling out a greeting across the small room and into the kitchen to the old woman stirring an ancient and used pot.
Gramma Buchi was a deceivingly frail old woman who had never had enough to eat in her entire life and as a result had as much bark as she did bite. Despite her age her senses were still sharp and she was as quick as ever. Her small frame was draped in scarves that she often claimed were in fashion in her own youth but were pulled down enough to proudly show off her tail and ears as she had never once been ashamed of her heritage.
“Ya don't have ta shout ya know!” The old woman snapped, “Room ain't that big and I ain't deaf yet!”
Ruggie laughed, lowering his voice as he walked over, “Sorry Gramma, just excited to be home.”
“Not excited enough! Ya were almost late for dinner!”
“I could smell it comin up the block, surprised every hungry animal isn't pawing at your doorstep!”
“Oh they try, but they know they'll get a good wack from my spoon if the food isn't ready yet.”
Ruggie chuckled remembering the stinging pain he had received many times from said spoon.
“Speaking of hungry animals, where are the rascals? They're never late for dinner.” He missed the three siblings as much as he had missed his grandma. The young trio was as rough and scrappy as he ever was but protected their small pack fiercely and worked as a team instead of going alone, often fighting amongst themselves before coming together as a ferocious group.
“Oh they'll be here when it's ready and not a moment later.” His gramma hummed, “While we wait tell me about your big job! Your letters surely don't do it justice!”
Ruggies smile slipped a little, “And the money? You have been receiving it, right?”
“Bah! Money!” She shook her head, stirring increasing speed as she spoke, “Never needed it before and dont need it now! I'm happy with my life and don't need any help in it! Never have, never will!”
Ruggie was afraid of this.
“Still for food, blankets? Even just for the rascals! I know you've been wanting a new cooking pot…”
“And what's wrong with my pot?!” She smacked the blacked used thing, “Not good enough for you??”
“Ah no I just…” Ruggie sighed, “You've taken care of me, of everyone my whole life. I just want to take care of you now.”
“You don't pay back family! Family takes care of each other!”
“ So let me take care of you .”
“I'm not so old I need to be put in some fancy shmancy old home! I can take care of myself!”
“Gramma…”
The old woman sighed, finally putting down her spoon, “Ruggie, what you're doing, I’m proud of you, I am, but leave an old woman to her life, to what's left of it. I got through on my own all these years. I can get through a few more.”
Ruggie sighed in defeat, he always knew it was a long shot.
“Fine but, but keep it? Just in case? I don't want there to be an emergency and you don't have any.”
The old lady chuckled and patted her grandson on the shoulder, “Fine fine if it'll get you off my back you old worrywart! But maybe if you visited more often you wouldn't be so concerned!”
"I'm always gonna worry bout you gramma.” Ruggie replied with a soft smile.
“I know boy”
“GRAMMA GRAMMA! We got trouble!”
Ruggie looked up sharply at the small scruffy hyena who had burst through the door and broken the moment, “Eddie! What's wrong?”
“Huh? Oh big bro Ruggies home!!” The boy paused in his panic to smile and wag his tail.
“Trouble Eddie?” Ruggie repeated, trying to get the younger back on track.
“Huh? Oh! Yeah! Sheyrn picked the wrong pocket and got caught! Zaiyu’s with her now but it don look good so he sent me ta get gramma!”
Shit!
Ruggie hurried forward gently pushing the boy back out the door “Show me Eddie, don't worry gramma, I'll handle it!”
“Don't be late for supper!” The old lady lazily replied, already returning to her pot of curry.
Ruggie followed the younger hyena through the back alleys bobbing and weaving through trash and rubble, “How bad was it?” He inquired, hopping over a few boxes.
“No coppers when I left but he was a loud one and his friend was angry! Never seen a prissy little lady look so willin’ to fight shishishi!” Eddie replied with a snicker as he turned down another alley.
Fight? Sheryn may be a thief with a bad attitude but she was still a child, just how bad was this?
Finally Ruggie heard loud indistinct but familiar voices.
“How dare you claim it’s not his! It has his initials right on it!”
“An how'd ya know these ain't my ‘nitials?”
“A dirty thief like you couldn't afford a wallet of that quality!”
“Hey ya can't talk ta er like that ya prissy cat!”
“Its ok Nora, maybe if we let them have it we can just go home? Its not like i dont have more.”
Very familiar voices.
Oh no
“Guys I brought help!” Loud and playful Eddie cheered, running to his siblings. Quiet calculating Zaiyu quickly tucked the younger beside him as he backed up their elder sister, hot tempered and feisty Sheryn who was smirking at a unfortunately familiar noble girl filled with righteous anger and protecting a dirtied-
“Cheka!?”
Five small heads snapped up at Ruggies shout.
“UNCLE RUGGIE!” Ruggie stumbled as a small lion cub barreled into him.
“Cheka, what the hell are you doing here?!” Ruggie frantically asked pulling the young heir back enough to look over him.
“That's a bad word mister Ruggie!”
“Nora don’t think for a moment i haven't forgotten about you!” Ruggie snapped at the lioness as fear and panic turned to anger, “I know for a fact you've been teaching Cheka worse ones than that! What are you even doing here?! I thought Kifaji was watching you today!”
Nora huffed, brushing dirt off her priceless dress, “That old bird? Please , he was easy to give the slip once we got him talking about proper etiquette or whatever. That birdbrain still thinks I'm a ‘perfect lil lady’.” Her voice took on a simpering innocent tone at the end that made Ruggie snort at its fakeness and shake his head.
“Thats because only me, Leona, and Queen N know you're the real mastermind behind you and Chekas adventures.” His tone turned angry again as he remembered where they were, “Speaking of, the slums? If your parents found out I'd be boiled alive!”
“M sorry,” Cheka whimpered, looking shamefully at his feet, “I heard you were going home an’ I wanted to see since you and uncle are fixin’ this place up. Nora an’ I snuck onto the carriage but we lost you when you got off and we were trying to track you but the smells are all funny here and then that mean girl stole my wallet!” he pointed accusingly at the Hyena trio who had quietly inched behind Ruggie during the confrontation.
Ruggie sighed, finally letting go of the young prince and going over to the glaring hyena girl.
“Sheryn.”
“I didn’ do nothin’.” she huffed, crossing her arms and looking away with a pout.
“Wanna try that again?” Ruggie smirked, holding up said wallet.
“Wha-!” She patted her pockets before trying to swipe it back, “Hey! That's mine!”
He bapped her on the head with the wallet before throwing it back to the prince who clumsily caught it (if it was a few bills lighter who could say?) “What'd I teach you about choosin’ targets?”
“Hey, I chose just fine!” She huffed, stomping her foot, “It was his uppity girlfriend who caught me!”
“Hey!”
“She's not my-”
“You miscalculated,” Ruggie interrupted, “ Badly. You're lucky I was here to save your hide.”
Sheyrn scuffed her foot, “I woulda been fine, worse came to worse I woulda killed em.”
“Excuse me?!”
“Huh?!”
Ruggie ignored the noble kids' shrieks and ruffled his sister's hair letting her growl and bat him away, “I'd prefer you didn't kill my boss's kid, I don't wanna get fired.”
Sheryn just grumbled in return as Ruggie walked back to the two royals.
“As for you two, man are you lucky i don't want to be in trouble with your parents! Still going to have to phone your caretakers and pull some major strings so they stop upending the kingdom looking for you, and I might still tell your uncle considering this was supposed to be my day off .”
“Oh nooo!”
“Deal with it. For now however we're all going to be in trouble if we're late to Grammas dinner.”
“Dinner!” Eddie clapped.
“Ah man I almost forgot!” Zaiyu groaned.
“Wait, we're takin’ those two back?!” Sheryn shrieked, pointing at the nobles.
“Course we are, " Ruggie huffed as he picked up his young charges and slowly led the troop of children back to the house, “I can't very well leave 'em out in the cold.”
“Big bro big bro!” Eddie whined and pulled at Ruggies sleeve, “Why do they get to be carried? I wanna be carried too!”
“Cheka and Nora dont know these streets as well as us, I don't want them to get lost or stolen from,” Sheryn growled behind them, “Besides, I'll get in a lot of trouble if they don't return in one piece.”
Eddie ahhhed in disappointment and Ruggie hitched Checka higher up to pat the young hyena on the head, “Just means you can lead the way then. You led me here right, so you can lead us home?”
Eddie nodded gleefully, “Yeah yeah! I'm usually the distraction cause i'm ob-nox-ous! And Zaiyu’s good at choosin’ targets and gettin’ ‘way! Sheryn usually fights them if we get caught,” he snickered looking at his sister, “But today Sheryn ‘sisted on pickin’ and boy did she pick bad! Bet she didn’ even notice the target's girlfriend shishish i!”
“Oi shut it! You didn’ notice ‘er either!”
Eddie cackled and ran ahead as Sheryn chased him through the alley.
Ruggie smiled softly after them and looked down to see Zaiyu intently observing him.
“You three been watchin over each other, right? “
Zaiyu nodded and Ruggie grinned, “Good, I'm glad I can rely on you three to take care of home while I'm gone.”
Zaiyu nodded again and ran after his siblings.
“Heh guess the little rascals smelled food, c'mon let's hurry up before they eat it all.”
Ruggie quickened his step and it wasn't long before they came back to Ruggies childhood home.
“Gramma, I'm back!”
“Late, and ya brought more mouths to feed! I should smack you with my spoon!”
Ruggie chuckled as he lowered the two onto the ground.
Noras nose scrunched a little as she looked around but sat down politely next to Cheka who was already reaching for the food.
Ruggie snorted at the crack of a spoon and short yelp of an injured kitten as his gramma told Cheka off for starting early.
“I'm in charge of portions, always have, always will. Make sure everyone gets an equal amount! There'll be no fighting over who got more at my table ya hear me? No matter who ya are yer all equal here!”
“Yes ma'am.”
“Good boy now hold out yer plate”
“Gramma, there won't be enough food if they get an equal portion!” Sheryn groused.
“You doubtin’ my cookin’ skills girl?”
“No gramma”
The hyena huffed as Nora sent her a smug smirk, only for the young lioness to be smacked by the spoon, “Hey I caught that missy! You be grateful for yer food or you don’ get none of it!”
“Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am” Nora apologized, tenderly rubbing her sore hand.
“Good girl. There, we've all gotten our food, we can dig in- an no stealin’ from each others plates! I'm lookin’ at you Eddie!”
“Yes gramma!”
“Good boy. So Ruggie you goin’ to introduce your gramma to your guests or do i gotta feed a couple of strangers?”
Ruggie nearly choked, “Ah yes sorry gramma this is… Cheka, my bosses kid and his friend Nora.”
“Your boss?” The old woman raised an eyebrow and Ruggie nodded slightly.
“Hey you got the same name as the prince!” Eddie laughed pointing at the young cub, “Izzat a noble thing or a lion thing? Though I guess most lions are noble so-”
“And this is Eddie, Zaiyu, and Sheyrn. My siblings.” Ruggie quickly interrupted, pointing to the three hyena children.
“Siblings?!” Cheka brighted, distracted, “I didn't know you had siblings Uncle Ruggie!”
“Were not really his siblings” Sheryn grunted, “Just some orphans he felt sorry for.”
Ruggie frowned at the girl, “You're my siblings in every way that matters.”
“Which is none!” The tween yelled, slamming her hands on the table before stalking off to the bedroom leaving behind an awkward, quiet table.
“I thought we were past this.” Ruggie sighed, rubbing his temples.
“Give ‘er time boy, things ‘ave been ‘ard with ya gone.”
Nora and Zaiyu watched with silent eyes as Cheka snuck off to the bedroom while Eddie looked at Sheryn’s plate.
“If she don’ come back can I have ‘er food?”
Smack
“Go ‘way!” Sheryn snarled at the soft knock before the door swung open, ugh she knew she should have stopped to block it, “I said go ‘way Ruggie!” She threw her pillow only for it to hit the door far above the intruder's head.
“Oh, its you.” She scowled at the lion cub, “Thought lions were s’posed to have good ears didn’ ya hear me to tell ya to go ‘way ?”
Cheka shrugged, “Yeah, but my uncle says that all the time and never means it. You're a lot like him.”
“Like your uncle? The prince?” Sheryn sneered, “ That's who he is isn’ it? Who you are? The prince?”
Cheka smiled, “Yeah! The others didn't seem to recognize me. I thought it was kinda funny, usually everyone recognizes me.”
The hyena huffed, “Ruggie and Gramma are keepin’ it a secret, just said he got a new job far away and wouldn't be ‘round much. But I snuck a peek at grammas letters so I know the truth.”
Cheka cocked his head in confusion, “Why keep it a secret?”
Sheryn glared back, finally standing from the bed, “Cause you nobles are awful! Always spendin’ money and not givin’ a care ‘bout no one lower than you! Treatin’ the rest of us like dirt ‘cause in the slums we outta sight outta mind. Aint that right? I remember when Ruggie went to that school! When he had to be some noble’s sidekick just so he wouldn’ get bullied! He smelled like lion for days every time he came home! And then when that noble was gone Ruggie was kicked to the curb! Spent night after night agonizing over whether he should write, even kept that damn scarf! Then he graduated and couldn’ get a job nowhere! Didn' matter he graduated some big school! So then Ruggie finally gets a call from his old friend and what's he want? To take Ruggie away again jus’ so he can make Ruggie work night and day for him! And ‘course Ruggie does it, cause he got no other options and has this stupid idea he needs to take care of us! Like we're his family or somethin!”
Cheka tilted his head, before clapping in realization, “Oh, I get it! You miss Uncle Ruggie!”
“Huh?!” Sheryn was so surprised she took a step back and tripped back onto the bed.
Cheka climbed up next to the older girl, and lowered his voice, “I missed him too, me and Uncle Leona both. Ruggie promised he'd visit us after school, which made me really happy ‘cause he makes uncle really happy! I saw them at school y'know, snuck in when i wasn't s’pposed to.”
“You do that a lot huh?”
Cheka grinned, “I'd never seen uncle so happy! It was like he was ruling his own kingdom and Uncle Ruggie was right by his side! So when uncle finished school and stopped seeing Ruggie, he got so sad and and i wanted to write to Ruggie an tell him, but I didn't know his address and didnt wanna ask in case it made uncle upset. But then! Uncle Leona invited Ruggie all on his own and now Ruggie is around every day and he and uncle are working together to make Ruggies home better! So when I heard Ruggie was goin home I got excited cause it meant I got to see uncles hard work!” At this Cheka looked sheepish, “I guess I kinda forgot if Ruggie was always with me and uncle it meant he wasn't with his own family.”
The hyena was silent for a moment, idly playing with the frayed blanket, “Ruggie, you said he's working with the prince to make the slums better?”
“Uhhuh! Ruggies his royal advisor! That's like, right below queen! Though sometimes I think queen is higher than king. Girls are scary and moms are the scariest of all of ‘em.”
Sheryn playfully punched the cub in the arm, “Heh you bet girls are scary. Stupid Ruggie. It's just like him to try an help the whole community. Should have seen through it.” She sat up with a determined glint in her eye, “Least im not as stupid as you. I'm gonna write him constantly, make sure he never forgets to visit!”
Cheka giggled and hugged the hyena making her snarl and push him off while trying to hide a blush, “The hell was that for!?”
Cheka smiled, “You reminded me of uncle!”
“Is that s’possed ta be a compliment?!” She growled.
“Course it is! He's my favorite person!”
“Cheka!”
The prince looked up and grinned at his friend in the doorway, “Oh, Nora!”
“Eddie and Zaiyu were showing me this fun game, you should come try it.” She said with a playful smile.
“Ok thanks! Bye Sheryn!”
The two girls watched as the young prince sprinted out of the room before the lioness turned a steely gaze back on the hyena, “ Back off”
“I don’ even want im!”
Nora just glared before following Cheka out.
Stupid possessive lions.
“Bye gramma, I wish I could have stayed longer but I really need to get these two back to the palace before the whole kingdom goes up in flames.”
“Yeh, yeh boy just remember to visit more, I only got so many days left in me.”
“Once a week I swear .”
“And I can come with!” Cheka grinned.
“No. Never again.” Ruggie growled at the boy hanging out the carriage window.
The cub pouted, “Aw fine, but maybe they can visit?”
“Maybe.”
“Yay! Bye Eddie! Bye Zaiyu! Bye Sheryn! Bye Ruggies gramma! I'll make sure to write and convince my dad to let you visit the palace!”
“Seven above just get back in the carriage before the whole street tries to rob us.”
The boy giggled and ducked back within before Ruggie crouched down to the trio, petting them lightly “Take care of each other, kay?” Eddie happily rubbed his cheek against Ruggies hand, tail wagging while Zaiyu allowed a small rub and patted the hand in return. Ruggie held the hand out to the final child patiently, “Sheryn?”
The girl huffed and grabbed his hand, quickly rubbing it across her own cheek before pushing it away, “See ya in a week, don’ worry, I’ll look after these losers.” She muttered.
Ruggie smiled and pulled all three into a hug, ignoring the growls and hisses, “I know you will.”