//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Sprites & Spires // Story: Fun & Fantasy // by Yosh-E-O //------------------------------// Nixi, the Unicorn mare caretaker, watched as Leon and Parker played the super exciting new video game they got, ‘Sprites & Spires’. “C’mon, Leon!” grumped Parker, who was an ebon-colored dragon clad in overalls. “Heal me!” “I can’t!” Leon, who was a near twin to Parker in appearance except he was clad in a onesie. “My healing spell hasn’t come back yet!” Nixi felt tense as she noticed how Parker’s samurai character was nearly out of HP. “No, no, no-noNO!” cried Parker as the hammer-wielding minotaur bonked the last of his Health Points to zero. “So unfair!” “And I just now got my spell back,” pouted Leon as he tried to run from the minotaur but was unsuccessful due to the other special attack the boss monster had, which was a line of fire it could shoot out from wherever it slammed down its hammer. “Now I’m finished, too,” Nixi saw the disappointment and frustration in her baby dragon boys. “Hey, guys,” she said calmly while making her way in front of the television. “Why don’t you two play your own version of the game where you don’t have to worry about all these yucky rules that make you fussy?” Parker huffed smoke from his nose as Leon frowned at how apparent it was that this was less a suggestion than it was a command. “Come on, Parker,” pouted Leon. “Let’s go play in my room.” I know you’ll both have a lot of fun playing pretend ‘Sprites & Spires’ together!” cheered Nixi as she switched off the game system and TV. “I’ll work on bedtime snacks while you two slay that mean, nasty minotaur.” Parker let his controller drop to the floor without a care before following Leon back to his room. *** Leon and Parker sulked over their loss in the game until they felt truly inspired to take their caretaker’s suggestion of playing it themselves in the wonderful world of make believe. “Maybe we just need some training to beat that minotaur?” thought Leon. “In that case,” stated Parker. “We need to get in character.” Leon put a claw to his chin as he stared thoughtfully with his green eyes towards the ceiling. “I got it!” he proclaimed upon snapping out of his thoughts and hastily taking off his brother’s overalls. “Hey!” cried Parker as he soon found himself standing in just his diaper. “What gives?” Leon ran over to his door and plucked a bath robe from a mounted hook. “You’re a samurai, right?” he more stated than asked. “Epic ultra super awesome samurai!” Parker added emphatically. “With epic uber cosmic powers!” “Well,” beamed Leon as he tossed the robe towards his brother. “You need a kimono and samurai diaper to be one.” Parker thought for a moment. “I’ve only seen the girl characters in the game wear kimonos,” he said. “Guys do, too,” Leon replied while finding his security blanket and approaching his twin. “I’ve seen pictures and it will make you look ultra cool!” Parker started to slip on the robe as Leon stuffed one end of the blanket down the front of Parker’s crinkly garment, looped it between his legs, and stuck the other end down the back of his padding. “That feels weird,”panicked Parker. “It’s what you need to be a samurai,” assured Leon. “It’s called a fundoshi and boosts your defense!” “Well…,” considered Parker. “If it boosts my defense and makes me look more like a samurai than I’m okay with it.” “Great!” cheered Leon as he took his white bedsheet, through it over his head, and used a jump rope to tie it like a mage’s cloak. “I’ve got a wizard’s staff for me and a hero sword you can have in my toy chest. Let’s get all equipped so we can go show Nixi how we are true ‘Sprites & Spires legends!””