Work Text:
Lady Midath's Fan Fiction
Kewpie's Comeuppance
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they are owned by Mike Raicht,Brian Smith and Th3rd World Studio. The illustrator to this series is Charles Paul Wilson III. No profit is being made.
Writer's Notes:This takes place during The Jester's Tale. As I have only just discovered this series, I have not had a chance to read the entire series yet. I have however read the Jester's Tale so this is where I decided to set my first TSOL fan fiction story.
Further Notes:I have decided that Jester should return to The Doll Nation for a while. I know that this is not how the next part of the series continued but call it an interlude if you like. Or creative license.
One
You are always welcome here Jester.
Queen Rebecca's words echoed in Jester's mind as he wandered down the narrow cobblestone path. After his disastrous trip to The Indian Lands and the encounter with his brother, The Laughing Ghost, he had found himself back here in the City Of Dolls.
Battered and bruised after being shot with a cannon, he had wandered in the Dark Realm for awhile, not quite sure what to do next. The Mayor was gone, Jester knew not where and Queen Rebecca was dead.
The thought of Rebecca was enough to bring a lump to Jester's throat. He had truly admired her. She had shown both wisdom and strength and her loyalty to her subjects, to her girls had been complete.
She had not deserved her fate and Jester could not help but in some part to feel responsible. After all, she had died because of The Laughing Ghost, his evil and scarred twin.
So why had he come back here? He could not be sure of a welcome now. By this time the news of Rebecca's death and that of her warrior dolls would have reached the inhabitants of the town now. Once they discovered how their beloved Queen had died, their mood would turn ugly with grief. But still, he was here now. There was nothing to be done but hope that they would show him some mercy. That that he expected it.
Still, he had only reached the outskirts of the city. The crooked path he was on led straight to the massive gates that served as the entrance to the City. He could always turn back, couldn't he?
Or perhaps I should face them instead of running like a coward. After all did he not once tell the Mayor that all battles were his burden, here in the Dark. It was not as if he had anything to fear from the warrior dolls. He had proved time and again that he could hold his own in any battle. Perhaps what he feared would be the look of accusation in their eyes.
"I do not belong here," he whispered. "I must go and find the Boy and release him from the clutches of the Boogeyman once and for all.
In his heart, Jester knew that finding the Boy and rescuing him would be the key to his own salvation. That is what he would do.
Feeling a new resolve growing within him, Jester turned and began to trace his footsteps back towards the forest, when seemingly out of nowhere, an arrow went whizzing past his right ear.
"What the..."Startled Jester spun around, his hands going straight to his hatchets. "What is this?" He called put sharply. "Who is there?"
A rustle in some nearby bushes alerted Jester. There was someone hiding within, well he would flush them out. Striding purposely towards the villain's hiding place, Jester called out. "I know you are in there. You best show yourself of I shall split your skull!"
With that, he lifted a hatchet menacingly. "Come out now, you cowardly rogue!"
Suddenly a small plump figure sprang from the bushes and darted towards the line of trees. Jester, hot on his heels, gave chase, pursuing the robed and hooded figure as it made it's escape into the woods.
But Jester was not to be deterred, he was determined to catch this creature no matter what. After all, this was the second time someone had shot an arrow at him while he was in the realm and he was going to make sure that it was the last.
He could see the little figure just up ahead, it was huffing and puffing with all it's might as it struggled to shake off it's pursuer. But Jester was fast and nimble on his feet. The gap was readily closing and then, with a pounce, Jester grabbed the little creature, bringing it to the ground.
"Now archer, let's see your face before I decide to blacken it for you."
Reaching for the hood, Jester pulled it off the struggling creature, only to reveal a pudgy face from underneath. The kewpie doll was staring up at him, wide eyes filled with terror. His plump little mouth was quivering as tears began falling down his cheeks.
Sitting back on his heels, Jester shook his head in disbelief. "You again, this is the second time you have tried using me as a target. What could you possibly have against me may I ask? Is it the way I am dressed? Is it my hat? What?"
Kewpie opened his mouth, then closed it again. It was clear that the child was overcome with fear and suddenly Jester felt ashamed of himself. He was a warrior, not a bully that would terrorize a helpless child. Even if that child did seem to enjoy using him for target practice.
"Oh come come child, cease your blubbering, I'll not hurt you. Now up you get, on your feet. There that's better isn't it?"
After helping the doll up, Jester got to his own feet and quickly began brushing bits of twigs and dead leaves off his trousers. "Now child, tell me. What are you doing out so late by yourself?" Then quickly looking around added. "Is this another trap set for me?"
"You're a bad doll," Kewpie replied. "You are bad and I am going to tell on you!"
"Tell on me, oh child but I am a friend of the Doll Nation," Jester replied with a smile. "I would not harm any of you."
But even as he spoke, a sudden image of Rebecca lying on the ground, fatally wounded flashed up before his eyes and his smile faded.
"No you're not, you are a bad toy, a nasty toy and I am going to yell and everyone will come and you will be arrested. So there!" With that, kewpie stuck his tongue out.
Exasperated Jester rolled his eyes. Such a little brat. Well he had no time for such nonsense, it was foolish of him to come back here anyway. He had a mission to save the Boy and all he was doing now was wasting time here with this silly child.
"All right then lad, be on your way back to the town and your mother. She will be worried sick about you being out so late."
"Humph, I do as I please," Kewpie replied sullenly. "No one tells me what do."
"Well I am telling you to do something now," Jester replied, his voice suddenly stern. "Go on back to your home. I promise I shall turn around and go back the way I came so there is no need to alert the guards. Is that clear?"
"You can't tell me what to do." The kepwie's face was sullen as he crossed his pudgy arms over his chest stubbornly. "You are just a silly old clown doll. That's all you are. A silly old clown with silly axes." Besides, I played a trick on you when you first came here. A good trick too." Kewpie's voice had taken on a taunting tone now and suddenly Jester found his palm itching to smack the child's plump bottom.
"Yes you did play a very good trick on me the first time I was here," Jester agreed, careful to keep his voice even. "But you had many dolls around you with spears and swords to protect you. But you have none of that now, do you?"
Kewpie's eyes widened slightly. "Uh, I...uh.."
"And here we are, in the middle of the forest with no one around to save you."
Jester's smile widened at the look on the child's face. The extent of his predicament was only just beginning to dawn on the child and his face paled slightly at the Jester's words.
"So let me see," Jester was clearly enjoying himself now. "I still have that first trick that you played on me to pay you back for. After all, leading me into that trap was rather uncalled for. Then helping the dolls take me prisoner and this was after you fired upon me. Then tonight you do the same even though I have posed no threat and in fact am a friend to the Doll Nation. Very bad manners indeed."
He was all but leaning his entire height over the now quailing doll. "So how should this naughty behaviour be dealt with. Hmm, let me see."
Jester knew from his time spent in the Boy's bedroom that the usual way to deal with a naughty child was to spank him. He had seen both his Boy and his little brother spanked often enough when they were disobedient and it seemed to work just fine.
Suddenly the kewpie seemed to find his voice. "Oh you stay away from me you bad toy. Don't you dare hurt me. With that, he stomped his foot, his face red with anger, and something else as well, fear.
"Hmmm, I think it might be time for a naughty bad mannered doll to be taught a lesson." With a sudden move, Jester reached out and snatched the child up. Startled, the kewpie began kicking out with his little plump legs, but to no avail. Firm within Jester's grasp, kewpie found himself flung over a strong shoulder and carried even deeper into the woods.
Frantic now, kewpie kicked and struggled for what it was worth but it was no good. Jester was much stronger and much more determined to punish the naughty little doll.
Up ahead, Jester spied on old log that lay across a long disused path. Striding over to it, he seated himself down and flung the struggling bundle over his long legs.
"Now child tell me, have you ever been spanked before?"
"Nuh, no, nooo please!" Panicking, kewpie lashed out with his arms and legs, but Jester held him down securely. Then lifting the robe, he carefully pulled down the child's pants to reveal his chubby bottom. The round dimpled cheeks were pale and smooth, but not for much longer. This little brat was going to experience something quite new and extremely unpleasant. One that Jester was sure would stay with him for quite some time.
"Well now I think you will find this quite a learning experience for you," Jester said raising his hand. Then he brought it down with a resounding smack.
Jester's hand left a nice handmark on the quivering cheeks and Kewpie's eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he felt the sharp sting. "OOWWWWWW!" He howled helplessly.
Raising his hand again, Jester began spanking the wriggling backside in earnest. His hand rising up and down, landing on it's target each time with a sharp crack. All poor little kewpie could do was wail his anguish as the heat built up behind him. It felt as though someone had lit his bottom up with a flaming torch.
"Ow, ow ouch. Oh oh please STOOOPPPP!" But Jester was having none of it. He was determined that this brat be taught a lesson once and for all. Although the normally good tempered Jester would never have hurt a child. In fact, he quite liked them, but this insolent little pup had rubbed him the wrong way and now he was discovering what a mistake that was.
SMACK...SMACK...SMACK... the swats continued to pepper Kewpie's rear end and it was not long before he was reduced to a blubbering mess across Jester's knees.
After a couple swats, Jester decided that Kewpie had had enough. Carefully Jester set the little doll back down once more. He was still howling, too caught up in his misery to notice that the spanking had stopped.
"Oh...oh, you bad bad wicked doll, he sobbed as he reached behind him, rubbing the sting from his blazing bottom, the very picture of a well spanked brat. "You are in trouble now, when the others find out what you've done you're really going to get it."
Jester could not help but chuckle at that. "I am not the one with the sore tail young man so I hardly think that I am in the one in trouble. Beside, if Rebecca were to find out about your inhospitality towards me, I think that you would be the one in trouble. So little one, let me be on my way and you on your way back home. I promise that I'll not trespass on the Doll Nation's domain and you shall keep your arrows in your quiver. What do you say little one. Is it a deal?"
Rubbing at his eyes, Kewpie nodded. He had only hunted Jester out of fun. He had no idea that the tall thin figure dressed in motley was so dangerous, or had such a hard hand. Now all he wanted to do was go home and curl up on his mother's lap and sleep. It was best to just let this horrible Jester go on his way.
"Well it's agreed then. No hard feelings little one. Farewell, perhaps we will meet again, but this time as friends." With that, Jester laid his hand on Kewpie's plump shoulder. "Now run along home, I imagine it's way past your bedtime."
Kewpie needed no further urging, he picked up the bow that he had dropped when he had been so unceremoniously turned over Jester's knee and headed towards the town. His little legs moving as fast as they could go. With a smile, Jester watched him go. He felt no animosity towards the little doll, indeed he felt no animosity towards any of them. The dolls were just trying to protect their city, but how they would fare without Rebecca to lead them...
Firmly Jester pushed that thought away. The dolls were fortunate that The Boogyman only seemed to have on interest in boys toys. That made them very lucky indeed, and perhaps it was good luck that the Kewpie had stopped him from entering the city. Perhaps his presence there would have only brought the The Boogyman's wrath down onto the dolls. The thought of anything happening to them was something that Jester could not bear. No it would be better if he stayed away. Safer for the dolls anyway.
With that thought in mind, Jester headed back towards the path. With a new determination burning in his heart to find the boy and take him back home. That was what he needed to do. Then perhaps after, he would return to the Indian Nation. He would face the Princess and this time, he would make her listen. After all, she was the love of his life. They were meant to be together. No matter what it took, Jester would win his love. For after all, without love, what was the use of anything?
With this new resolve, Jester walked on, ready to face anything, even the Boogyman himself.
END