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“S-SEAM! WHERE ARE YOU GOING, GOING?! DON’T GO IN THERE!”
The Court Magician stopped climbing up the stairs and sighed. “Don’t make this harder than it already is.”
Small hands stretched out beyond the bars and tried to grab the plush cat in vain. “SEAM! SEAM, YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOCK YOURSELF INSIDE, INSIDE! COME J-JOIN THE FUN! W-WE’LL PLAY GAMES UNTIL THE WORLD IS DONE!” The jester begged.
“Goodbye, Jevil.”
His friend...His only companion...The only one that ever really accepted him and took the time to get to know him...
He really loved Seam. He loved Seam more than anything else in this whole wide world. Even if the world was a fantasy, he still loves Seam from the bottom of his soul.
What happened...?
The imp couldn’t help the cries that teared out of his small body.
“S-SEAM! SEAM, COME BACK! SEAM, PLEASE! D-DON’T LOCK YOURSELF AWAY! I DON’T WANT TO BE ALONE, ALONE AGAIN! COME OUTSIDE WITH ME! SEAM! SEAM! SEAM, PLEASE! DON’T GO! DON’T GO!”
Seam didn’t even turn around to acknowledge his screams. Even when the mage was gone, did the jester continue to call out to his companion.
He screamed and screamed and screamed until his voice couldn’t handle it anymore. He fell to his knees and hung his head low. He felt the tears he held back for over a decade start to fall out. Tears he tried to hide from everyone, even Seam, because no one wanted to see a crying jester when everyone else was so sad from the Lightners abandoning them. And now he had no Seam to comfort him. To tell him that it was ok for him to cry. That he can be real with the mage. That he was loved and wanted.
Now he’s sitting outside, and the prisoners of this shackling world will stay away from him. Even Seam...
He got up and went deeper into what the kings believed to be a cell. On the ground was one of his only two keepsakes of his love. The Carousel. The toy spell that Seam had designed to help him with his sleepwalking. He lifted it and turned the key on the bottom.
A lovely song started to play from the music box inside the toy. The little ducks that surrounded the middle began to revolve, bobbing up and down.
Jevil laid on his side and curled around the toy to try and comfort himself.
It’s just a big joke, he told himself. Seam will come back to get him, he told himself. Seam will realize the mistake that was made and join him outside. After all, he told his companion the truth of this world...He won’t be alone forever. Seam just has to process it!
It felt like he closed his eyes for a moment, but the next moment he opened his eyes, he heard someone coming down the stairs.
Excitedly, the little imp hurried to the bars that separated his freedom from the prison.
“SEAM, SEAM, YOU’VE COME BACK!”
“...Mine identity is not of the Court Magician, Foole.”
The jester felt his heart shatter. “OH, IT’S ROULXS! WHAT BRINGS YOU TO THE NEW LAND OF FREEDOM AND FOOLS?”
“Yon nourishment, of course...Thou art a prisoner, yea. But, thou must be provided with daily meals.”
Jevil looked at his visitor. Rouxls Kaard. Servant of the Kings, Upholder of the Law, and a personal favorite butt of the joke. He may be just a Squire, but the Royal Court held high esteem for him. He was holding a tray of food and a rather large glass of water. The Squire placed the food and water on the ground as close to the bars as he could.
“...WHEN WILL SEAM COME BACK?”
“...Thou dost not knoweth? Yon mage resigned.”
The world was spinning far too quickly for the imp to keep up. Resigned? Resigned?! No no no, there has to be a mistake!
“B-BUT...WHEN WILL SEAM RETURN, RETURN TO SEE ME?! S-SEAM CAN’T J-JUST...ABANDON ME HERE...”
Rouxls looked down at the little jester with sympathy. “Mine apologies...Yon mage swore to never set foot in this castle again...” The Squire sat on the lowest steps, watching Jevil intently.
He looked down at the food. Not a single sweet treat in sight. Not one piece of dark candy or Choco-Diamond in sight...He reached through the bars and mindlessly ate everything off the tray. He then took the water and gulped it all down. Once he had finished, Rouxls took the tray and cup.
“ROUXLS...WHY DID EVERYONE LOCK THEMSELVES AWAY AND LEAVE ME OUTSIDE?”
Rouxls couldn’t answer...He wouldn’t. Nothing he could say would appease the crazy little man. Logic would not reach him, and lying would only bring his hopes up too high. Instead, he shook his head in sadness and went back up the stairs.
Once again, Jevil was alone. But at least his throat wasn’t in as much pain, thanks to the water.
But what good does that do him? Seam is still in there, locked away like the other prisoners. And Seam wasn’t coming back...
This was his life now...The once proud and joyful Court Jester...reduced to an abandoned, broken toy that no one wanted to play with anymore...Nothing but a bad toy...
Well...This could be fine...After all, he was free from the rules of the world. He could do anything he wanted! He can bounce around and be loud and really be himself all he wanted!
But his freedom was so small...He looked at the Carousel and thought...Well, there’s infinite space in his dreams! He can bounce and play in his dreams!
He wasn’t sure how much real time had passed. He had entered a cycle of sleeping most of the day, only waking up when he smelled food. Rouxls always brought him food. Every time, Jevil would ask if Seam was coming back. The answer was always the same. What was the definition of insanity again...?
Eventually, he got bored of playing in his sleep. He chewed on his fingers, thinking of what to do next. He bit down a little too harshly, drawing blood at his fingertip.
It reminded him of a pen with ink dripping down.
...Actually...That gave him an idea...
The next time Rouxls came to bring the Ex-Court Jester his meal, there was a strange, metallic smell in the air. He couldn’t quite place it. Something akin to rust, but not quite. Still down he ventured. A funny smell wasn’t going to stop him from keeping to the rules.
No one else would dare try to bring the crazy little man food, anyway.
He set the tray in its usual spot by the bars. He couldn’t see inside the cell since it was too dark inside.
“Jevil? Tis time for your nourishment...”
There was a scratching noise coming from inside the darkness. Rouxls got a little closer and tried to peer inside. He could see the small man’s figure creeping closer until he could see the yellow pupils shining through the darkness. He backed up a bit before a blue hand reached through, attempting to grab the Squire with vicious claws.
“UEE HEE HEE! COME HERE, COME HERE! COME OVER HERE! COME JOIN THE FUN, FUN!”
The imp noticed the food and devoured it within seconds. The cup was drained far too quickly.
“UEE HEE HEE! MORE! MORE! GIVE ME MORE! UEE HEE HEE HEE HEE!!”
“W-What?! Nay! Thou only receiveths only one portion a day! Thou dost not--”
The tray was shoved to him from the ground. “MORE! MORE! I NEED MORE!”
Rouxls picked up the tray and cup. “N-Nay! I toldeth thee that thou shall only get--”
Diamonds flew at the Squire. With a shriek, he fled up the stairs, refusing to give him more food.
“A SHAME, A SHAME! I NEED MORE FOOD FOR MY COLORING GAME...OH WELL!”
Jevil scratched at his chest hard enough to draw blood once again. He floated up to the ceiling and began painting more of his visions of the future. Not like anyone would see them. But it’s nice to decorate your living space, right? To really pour some...blood, sweat, and tears into making a place yours.
Heh heh heh heh heh...
Jevil hadn’t seen Rouxls since that last outburst. Something had changed behind the prison bars, he just knew it.
Instead of the Squire, it were various Rudinns and Hathys that brought him his meals. And the food and water portions were smaller than before. He had previously covered the ceiling with his visions, and was working on the big prophecy on the floor. These meals just wouldn’t be able to sustain this body for very long. After his big project, he’d have to move on to smaller artworks.
He was also running out of unmarked spots on his body. He’s gone from the bottom of his feet to the spring of his neck.
They stopped coming.
No more Rudinns or Hathys or any other Darkner ever came to bring him food and water. They left Jevil completely alone in his freedom. He cried out for someone, anyone, to visit him!
But Nobody Came...
The little imp held his disturbingly frail body close, his tail wrapping around him all too easily. He forced a grin on his face and laughed as loud as he could.
Tears?! Not in his freedom! Sorrow?! I don’t even know her! Loneliness?! Who needs people?! He’s got a whole audience on his walls that were painted on with his own blood and enchanted with his own magic! They laughed and cheered when he performed for him! They would never leave him!
His forced laughter bounced all around the walls and back to him.
He really was nothing more than an abandoned, unloved, broken toy. Look at him! Look at all these pretty markings he gave himself! No one would ever want to play with him!
What was once the blessing of freedom from the world’s rules became his curse as well. He knew why he was there now. Only the bad toys get put outside. Only the bad toys get left on the side, never to be played with again.
Only bad toys get abandoned.
On the right side of his freedom, off of the heart on the ground, is where he laid. He was lying in a pool of his own blood. Bad toys don’t deserve to be happy. Bad toys deserve their suffering.
So he scratched again. He scratched and scratched and dug his claws in deeper than before. Who cares how damaged he was?! No one would play with him ever again!
Something rolled out of his pocket.
With a weak and trembling hand, he inspected the round object.
A magic gemstone, one would think. A Cat’s Eye, to be exact. But not just any cat...
The old shopkeeper...what was that shopkeeper’s name again?
But this was...
Jevil had an idea. His body was beyond weak, but it can never be killed. With what little magic he could summon, he casted a spell on the eye.
The round marble hovered over the Carousel toy beside the little imp. The music box, warped from time and use, began playing a twisted but familiar melody. The ducks began revolving and bobbing.
And Jevil decided to sleep for the next 100 years, his body still lying in a drying pool of its own blood...