//------------------------------// // Courage // Story: Ebony and Ivory: Growing up Changeling // by SGZone //------------------------------// Ebony looked around at the desolate landscape before him. There was no sun, no moon, nor even sky the only light in this dark place was the fire raging around him. Smoke shrouded his vision and filled his lungs. He wanted to move he wanted to run but his legs were stuck in the ground. All around him in the smoke and the fire there were shadowed figures. Some of them ran and screamed while other shadows chased them and yelled. Clutching dark objects the angry shadows destroyed the others and surrounded the small child. Ebony wanted to scream he wanted to call for his mother to save him. But when he opened his mouth he couldn't even let out a squeak. The shadows raised their weapons above their heads and swung them down onto his head. As the weapons closed in on him he found his voice and shrieked. Ebony shot up from his bed in a cold sweat. He frantically looked around his room. Assuring himself that the nightmare was over. "Did you have another nightmare?" Ivory asked looking up from his bed on his side of the room. "No." Ebony responded. Ivory looked at him incredulously. "Yes you did you woke me up with your whining." Ivory replied. "I was not whining!" Ebony snapped back indignantly. "Call it what you want point is you woke me up with it." Ivory pointed out. Ebony's face turned hot pink with embarrassment. He pouted and turned toward the wall. Fighting back the angry tears that threatened to burst forth. 'I am a prince for Crotalus's sake! I'm going to be king one day and mother said monarchs don't get scared. Yet here I am ready to pee the bed from his own nightmares.' He thought angrily about himself. "Why don't you just tell mom what your dreaming about?" Ivory suggested. "I can take care of myself." Ebony replied grumpily. Ivory rolled his eyes at his stubborn brother. "Clearly you can't but don't take my advice." He sighed rolling over in his bed to try and get back to sleep. Ebony tried to return to sleep too. hoping for a better dream but every time he closed his eyes his fear kept his eyes wide open. After staring at the wall for almost an hour he got up to grab some milk to help him sleep. Creeping over to the door he gently cracked it open and slipped outside. Taking extra care to not let a single strand of light into the room. Ebony stalked through the halls of the castle looking for something to help him sleep or keep him awake. He couldn't go to his mother or his aunt Papilia as they were at Griffonstone. He didn't know exactly what for but his mother sounded furious about it. As he wandered the halls he spied a light further down the hall. Stopping he cocked his head to the side in confusion. 'Who could be up this late?' He pondered. Like a mouse he scurried down the hall to get a better look. Creeping around the corner he peeked inside. Sitting on a chair next to candlelight was his aunty Alexandrae. On the desk before her was a pile of papers stacked up to her chin. He remembered asking his mother what all those papers were. "Dozens of reasons for her to throw our chairs against the wall." She responded. He also recalled as she said that Alexandrae threw one of those chairs out of her office shattering it. Though at the moment she was not in the throes of her own rage from her subordinates incompetence. Instead she was being cradled in the comforting embrace of sleep. Her head resting in her hand. Ebony remembered another piece of information this time provide by his aunt. He recalled her saying "if you two ever wake me up while I'm sleeping. You had better be on fire because if you're not, you will be." He shuddered at the memory. Aunt Alexandrae could be scarier than any monster when she wanted to be. Though she was only joking, right? Rather than risk finding out if she made good on her promises he turned to head back to his room. Though as he turned around his heart dropped at the sight of the dimly lit hallway. Which stretched before him seemingly to oblivion. Strange it seemed a lot brighter heading back the other way. 'It's alright though it won't be too long I just have to head back down take left at the second hallway then a right then a left- I mean another right. No that doesn't make any sense. Wait did I have to go right down the first hallway instead?' As Ebony struggled to remember how he was to get back his brain could only come up with one answer. He had no idea. He turned back to his sleeping aunt thinking on the difficult situation. Brave the dangers of the castle and get lost possibly until morning and have to sleep on the cold floor. Or wake his draconic aunt. He twisted in place shifting from the dark hallway to Alexandrae a dozen times. Though before he could make a decision Alexandrae sprang awake. "I got papers!" She shouted her head shooting up from her hand. She took a quick look around her office and sighed of relief when she realized it was all just a dream. Though when she looked back down she spotted Ebony peeping behind the door frame. "Ebony what are you doing up it's..." She looked around for her clock but it was lost in the clutter that made up her desk. "Well I don't know what time it is but it's too late for you to be up I know that. So why are you here kid?" She asked getting up and stretching her limbs. "Oh well I couldn't sleep so I went to get some warm milk and got distracted when I saw the light coming from in here." He responded. "Couldn't sleep huh? So you had another nightmare." She surmised. Ebony didn't say a word but his defeated look said it all. "Alright you've been having a nightmare every week it seems but Chrysalis tells me you won't talk to her about them. You just ask for some warm milk then either bunk with her for the night or head back to your bed. So you're gonna tell me." Alexandrae ordered. Ebony continued to pout and stare at the floor. "Fine don't tell me and go back to bed." She stated moving to shut the door. "No!" Ebony cried trying to stop the door. "Then spill. What has you so scared?" She asked. Ebony looked to his aunt's big green eyes. They were hard like ice and brimming with confidence. His mother told him and Ivory of her bravery as a soldier and general. Nothing could scare her. "Okay well, at first it was just a bunch of monsters but they didn't look like monsters they looked like changelings. They were tall and walked on two legs and I think carried weapons. But it's always too dark to tell. They were really angry and would shout at me. Then they-they would attack me then I wake up." He stuttered trying to not cry thinking of those monsters. "Then it got worse." "Worse? Worse how?" Alexandrae asked. Her gaze softening a bit from annoyance to slight worry. "Well there was later fire and other monsters except they weren't mean monsters actually I think the other monsters would go around and-and ki-kill them." He whispered. Alexandrae's expression didn't change but a cold sweat swept over her body as shiver went down her spine. "Tonight was the worst one ever there was fire and smoke and my legs were in the ground and I couldn't yell. Then the monsters surrounded me and attacked me but I couldn't move and I wanted to yell for my mom but I couldn't yell and then I woke up." He blubbered on the verge of crying as the first tears fell down his face. "Hey, hey, don't cry there's no need to cry. They're just dreams." Alexandrae said failing miserably at sounding comforting. Needles to say her words didn't work as Ebony began to cry softly. "Oh why are you crying?" She muttered. 'Damnit Chrysalis of all the nights to leave me with them.' "It's-it's because I'm a p-pr-prince and mom said princes have to be brave. But I'm too scared to be brave. I'll never be a good prince or king." He cried wiping the tears from his face with his hands. "Oh is that it?" Alexandrae she exclaimed relieved it was such an easy solution. She proceeded to stifle a large yawn. "Look it's way too late to give you a lesson about this but whatever you think know about bravery, you're wrong." She said putting her hands on his shoulders. Ebony looked into his aunt's soft but confident eyes calming him. "I'm way too tired to talk to you more about bravery right now but I'll tell you in the morning okay?" Ebony wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded. "Good now how about you head back to bed." She said standing up and giving him a confident smirk. "Ok, but I kinda forget how to get back." He smiled blushing slightly abashedly. Alexandrae rolled her eyes and sighed. "Alright let's go." She said snuffing out the candle with her magic and shutting the door. "Um actually for tonight can I sleep with you aunty Alexandrae?" He asked looking up at her with big puppy dog eyes. Alexandrae stared down at him. "That way it'll be easier for you to give me that lesson." He reasoned grinning. Alexandrae squinted her eyes. "Fine, you're lucky that I'm tired Ebony. But this is the last night you sleep in your own bed from now on except for Love's Embrace day." She said stifling another yawn. She picked Ebony up and tucked him under arm like a bag. "Thanks, aunty I love you." He chirped. "Mm-hmm." Alexandrae opened the door to her room and tossed him carefully onto her queen sized bed. Ebony nestled into the sheets and pulled the covers up to her neck while his aunt got ready. She took off her forest green uniform and went into the bathroom to finish up. Ebony sat up and looked around the room in wonder. Like he had just been given entrance to the candy factory. He had never seen Alexandrae's room. Well, he had never seen any of his aunt's rooms but Alexandrae's was even more special. She was very secretive rarely talking to them or anyone. He rarely saw her but Chrysalis said it was because she was a general and was very busy protecting the hive. She was like a superhero and this was her super secret hideout. Then the door of the bathroom swung open and Ebony laid back down as Alexandrae slid next to him. "Alright get to sleep I got a busy day to tomorrow." She sighed curling up and nestling into the covers. "Okay goodnight aunty, love you." Ebony cooed snuggling into Alexandrae like a kitten to its mother. Surprisingly rather than push him away as cat would to a overzealous puppy. Alexandrae wrapped her arm around the boy and pulled him into her even closer. Cuddling with him like a teddy bear. "Love you too, Ebony." Alexandrae woke up the same like she did everyday at eight o'clock sharp but much more refreshed than usual. The sun's rays piercing through the curtains invading the room with warmth. Alexandrae gently pushed Ebony away from her careful not to wake him and sat up. After stretching out the sleep she turned back to her surprise nighttime companion. Running her hand through his short choppy hair. She thought back when Chrysalis broke the news to them with these two in her arms. She felt a pang of embarrassment and remorse as she thought back on her actions. All that fuss over two children absolutely ridiculous for someone of her standing. Besides she had to admit they had grown to be rather adorable. While she was deep in the mush of nostalgia her door burst open and Priamus charged in. "Alex I can't find Ebony!" She shouted springing the mentioned boy awake and in a daze. "Oh found him." She said shifting back and forth between the two, perplexed. "He had a nightmare and slept with me last night." Alexandrae explained. "Oh well crisis averted." Priamus stated and awkwardly backing out of the room. As the door closed behind the perplexed Priamus Alexandrae was reminded of her promise. "Okay Ebony want to know what bravery means?" Alexandrae asked. Ebony shook off his sleepy stupor and looked to his aunt bright eyed and bushy tailed. "Alright, first what do you think it means to be courageous or brave?" Alexandrae asked. "Well it means to be very confident and not afraid of anything. Like you." Ebony said. Alexandrae fought hard to suppress her laughter. "Is that what you think? That I'm brave because I'm never scared?" Alexandrae asked. Ebony hesitantly nodded his head. "Hmm, well what if I told you every time I go into battle I'm afraid." Alexandrae said. Ebony looked at her dubiously. How could she lead or fight when she's scared? "It's true each of those stories your mother told you. I was afraid pretty much the entire time." Alexandrae stated proudly. Ebony looked at her in a mix confusion and surprise. "But how?" Ebony asked more curious. "Well bravery isn't about being never scared. It's working through your fear. It's okay to be afraid. Everyone gets scared sometimes. Though a good leader, a good king, pushes past that fear to lead their people. They don't let fear paralyze them they use fear push them forward. Understand? She asked. Ebony nervously nodded his head. "I once read somewhere that the only time a person can be brave is when they're afraid. That means staying in your room, in your bed and sleeping no matter what nightmares you may face. Got it?" She stated. This time Ebony gave a more resolute nod starting to understand. "I have another thing to tell you about courage and fear. This time how to get help with it." She said this time Ebony tilted his head, perplexed. Alexandrae continued. "Not every fear you can face on your own and sometimes you need help. There's no shame in that. Whenever your mother is in trouble and is unsure or scared. She comes to us. Either me or Arthemis or Papillia she gets help. Something you should have done a long time ago with Chrysalis. So along with facing your fears head on and moving past them on your own. Remember getting help from others is a great blessing. Just don't over use it." She smiled at the young prince. He looked down at the bed sheets letting her words sink in. He looked back up at her a confidence in his eyes that she had not seen before. "Okay Aunty Alex I understand. Thanks. I'll be the best king ever." He stated proudly. Alexandrae felt a bit of remorse grip her heart but was careful not to show it. As she lied to the boy. "I'm sure you will be. Now let's go downstairs and eat." She continued shaking off the nagging feeling at the back of her mind. Picking him up and tucking him under her arm the duo went down to the meeting hall. But in the back of Alexandrae's mind her lie nagged at her. This could not go on.