Ebony and Ivory: Growing up Changeling

by SGZone

Air Travel.

Chrysalis stared out the window of the royal airship. Gazing upon the snow white landscape below. Despite preferring to work in secrecy Chrysalis’s hive did own a fleet of airships; along with a massive royal airship. It was mostly used for the occasional diplomatic meeting, along with visiting the many sub hives. This time it was being used for the latter. In order to help ease the tension that had swept across the hive and combat the ignorance towards humans. Chrysalis had devised a tour taking the twins to their many sub hives. To see how their vast empire functioned. Today they were heading for their largest sub hives in the frigid north the second largest in the empire. Living off of the love of the griffon capital place just outside the tundra, and since there was no non-changeling settlement near the icy landscape the hive grew to considerable size.

Chrysalis looked across from her seat to her two children. Chrysalis still couldn’t believe how much they’d grown despite never going through a cocooning. It felt like only yesterday she was still carrying them in her arms. Now they were walking and talking all on their own. Ivory was busy marveling at the tiny landscape just like his mother. Amazed by how small the world looked from up above. Ebony on the other hand was staring blankly at the floor, stiff as a board. While the two were smitten by the airship upon seeing it they had different reactions when it flew. Ivory loved every second of it exploring the luxurious flying fortress, and getting lost more than a few times. He tried to get a view of the ground from every angle. Ebony, though, rarely left his seat usually dozing off and stayed as far away from the windows as possible. Chrysalis chalked this up to his fear of heights but realized it may be something else.

“Ebony are you okay darling?” Chrysalis asked. Her son only nodded his head in response. He was clearly not okay.

“Are you sure? Are you feeling weak? Should I get your medicine?” As predicted Ebony’s high mana reserves also weakened the poor boy. Sometimes leaving him bedridden for a whole day. The medicine helped but it was still an ordeal for the child.

“I’m fine mom. I’m not sick.” He replied gritting his teeth.

“Ebony, tell me what’s wrong.” She chided. The boy looked up at his mother with as little movement as possible.

“Okay I don’t feel good but it’s not my magic. It’s when I’m on the ship.” He whimpered.

“On the ship? Is it your fear of heights?” Chrysalis asked.

“No I don’t like it when it moves.” He replied.

“Motion sickness?” Chrysalis questioned. First time this had ever happened to him despite all their travels.

“Well hear why don’t you lie down on my lap.” Chrysalis offered patting her leg. The tiny boy hopped down from his seat and shuffled over to his mother. Laying his head down on his mother’s leg the smooth silk felt soothing on his skin. As his mother played with his tuff of black hair.

“You get sick from your own magic and now you get sick from just being on an airship? Is there anything that doesn’t make you sick?” Ivory teased. Ebony shot up from his resting place and glared at his brother.

“Shut up, I don’t get sick from everything!” Ebony squeaked in indignation.

“Yeah you do. Your always sick.” Ivory countered.

“Na uh.” Ebony rebutted.

“Yea huh.” Ivory refuted keeping to his case.

“Enough. Ivory don’t tease your brother because he gets sick. He can’t help it just like you can’t eat seafood.” Chrysalis scolded breaking up the intense argument. With their mother’s ruling final Ebony plopped his head back in his mother’s lap and closed his eyes. While Ivory stared out the window trying to hide his pout.

“Ebony scoot.” She whispered and the two shuffled a bit further down the bench. Clearing a bit of room between Chrysalis and the wall. “Ivory would you like to sit here?” Chrysalis offered patting the empty seat.

Ivory jumped from his seat and shot up to the open space next to his mother. He nestled into the spot laying his head on his mother as she wrapped her arm around him. For a while it was beyond peaceful. As Ebony and Ivory drifted off to sleep in the comfort of their doting mother it was picturesque. Chrysalis with such carefulness that she could not startle a mouse. Leaned down and planted a kiss on their adorable heads. With the hectic traveling and homegrown strife these little moments of peace were priceless. However, even the best things in life must come to an end. This moment ended by the ship violently shaking. Jolting Ebony and Ivory from their brief sleep. Ebony groaned in pain from the ships drastic movements.

“Fantastic.” Chrysalis growled. “Stay here you two I’ll go see what is happening.” She said lifting Ebony off of her lap and storming out of the cabin. Chrysalis had a menacing scowl on her face as she marched to the flight deck.

“There had better be a good reason for this. I swear if they were goofing around I’m throwing them overboard and they can fly to the hive.” She hissed. Throwing open the doors the flight crew spun around to face their angry queen. “Captain what was the meaning of these disturbances?” She ordered. The captain shot up from his seat and saluted his queen.
“I’m sorry my queen but we’re facing strong cold winds. It’s freezing our engines and the winds are blowing us around causing some turbulence.” He replied.

“Freezing our engines? Are we in any danger?” She asked her anger subsiding.

“No my queen it’s just a bit of frost not bad enough to ground us.” He informed.

“Very well. Though try to keep the ship steady as you can. My-I have a headache and all this shaking is not helping.” She said turning around.

“Yes my queen we will do our best.” He replied returning to his seat.

Without his mother’s warm lap Ebony made due with the padded seat and his hand with minimal success. As the ship once again tilted sharply to the right he groaned in pain.

“Hey do you need me to get something? Like a bucket?” Ivory offered. Ebony shook his head.
“I’m fine I don’t need anything.” He moaned. Ivory looked away from his brother abashedly.

“Hey I’m sorry for teasing you earlier.” Ivory said.

“It’s fine I’m sorry for always being sick so we can’t play together as much.” Ebony replied looking up at his brother.

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s like mom said you can’t help being sick.” Ivory said.

“Yeah but she also said that soon my magic won’t hurt me anymore then we can do everything together.” Ebony smiled.

“Yeah.” Ivory smiled back. Just then the airship shook again causing Ebony to double over in pain.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t get you a bucket or something?” Ivory asked.

“No. I don’t need anything. I just want mom.” Ebony whimpered.

“Don’t worry she’ll be back soon.” Ivory responded trying to comfort him though Ebony could only groan in response.

The brothers sat in silence for a while waiting for Chrysalis until Ebony decided to speak up.

“Actually Ivory until mom gets back can you rub my head, please.” Ebony pleaded. Ivory looked at Ebony in confusion before placing his hand in his hair and began stroking it.

“Like this?” Ivory asked stroking Ebony’s head as he nodded yes. Just then Chrysalis entered the room.

“We seem to have hit a bit of turbulence but- oh well isn’t this a sight.” She swooned as she laid her eyes on the two. “Thank you Ivory for being such a good brother.” She said patting him on the head and retaking her seat with Ebony happily snuggling into her lap. While Ivory cuddled into her side once again.

“Well as I was saying we’ve hit some strong winds but we’ll be fine to make it to the hive. Think you can hold on Ebony?” She asked.
Ebony smiled at his mother and nodded. However, a fierce rocking of the ship changed his tune. His eyes widened shock as his stomach twisted. He knew what was coming next but could not stop it. As Chrysalis looked at her son’s shocked eyes she too knew what was coming. Ebony clenched his teeth as a makeshift dam to stop the coming tide. Sadly, it could not hold and after a brief moment of holding the bile at bay the dam burst and spilled into Chrysalis’s lap.

Ivory shot back from his mother’s side as the vomit covered her lap. “I told you I should have gotten a bucket.” He stated.

“Shut up.” Ebony cried as he crawled from his mess. Chrysalis gave a deep weary sigh.

“I’ll go get a towel.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ebony groaned as the airship tilted once more. Chrysalis ran her fingers through his thick black hair to soothe him as she had always done since he was a child. Running her fingers from his hair to his bearded jaw line.

‘Were going to have to get you a shave when we land.’ Chrysalis lamented rubbing a bit of beard hair between her fingers.

While one hand massaged his scalp the other scratched his back. A potent combination for getting him asleep she found over the years. As the ship took another errant tilt making him whimper once again. Chrysalis couldn’t help but chuckle. She thought back to that day now so long ago. When Ebony barely took up any space curled next to her. Now he took up almost all of it even with the new longer seat. She couldn’t help but smile in astonishment at the man that laid next to her.

Tall, broad shoulders, toned muscles, proud chest, strong chin he was a prince in his prime. Nothing like that small child from all those years ago. Yet no matter how big or strong he became air travel was still his Achilles heel. With traveling by sea being even worse.

Just then the cabin door opened and in stepped Ivory. He too showed looked almost nothing like the boy from years ago. Except for his hair which was still a gorgeous platinum blond. Not darkening even, a little despite being told otherwise. He had his golden locks tied up in a ponytail keeping his long hair out of his face. Unlike Ebony who let his mane flow free. He also didn’t have a hint of facial hair never had much to his chagrin.

He too was a prince in his prime, though, a bit smaller and lankier than his brother.

“So how’s our patient doing? Is his wittle tummy still hurting?” He cooed standing over Ebony pursing his lips. His voice bright and strong like church bells.

“Keep it up, we land in about two hours and you know I don’t forget.” Ebony growled through clenched teeth. His voice was like a cascade of boulders rolling on top of each other.

“Aww is someone a wittle grumpy? Does he need his nap?” Ivory swooned while Ebony tried to ignore him. “Well maybe he needs to be rocked.” He whispered and began to shake Ebony violently.

Ebony sprang up from his mother’s lap glaring hellfire at Ivory and fiercely hissed at him. Though he knew Ebony wouldn’t do anything to him, yet. It was still made Ivory jump back a bit. Fortunately for him even that slight movement was enough to make Ebony’s queasy stomach do flips. So rather than follow up he laid back down in his mother’s lap confident Ivory got the message.

“Alright enough you two. You get older every year but I swear you two haven’t matured a day.” Chrysalis sighed.

“Ouch little harsh mom.” Ivory replied cracking a smile at her. But Chrysalis was having none of it and flashed him the look all mothers’ have for their children. Ivory wisely chose not to agitate the queen any further.

“Alright, sorry Ebony that last bit was little too far.” He said patting Ebony on the shoulder.

“Apology accepted but I’m still going to get back at you when we land.” Ebony replied closing his eyes.

“Fair enough.” Ivory conceited. Taking his place on his mother’s other side and resting his feet on the old seat from their childhood. Ivory wrapped his arm around Chrysalis she nestled into his chest while he rested his head on hers. While they were still incredibly immature at times Chrysalis smiled. Comforted knowing no matter how old they get or how hectic their lives became. They would always be her little boys.

Author's Note:

Sorry this took so long. But my semester is almost over so everything is due. That plus a whole week sick with a viral infection didn't help. Sadly finals are the next two weeks so I'll be pretty busy. Hopefully not too busy. But then I'm out for winter with nothing but time. So expect a slew of chapters then.

Comments

[nioniosbbbb]

Family bonding. Awesome.

[Razzy]

D'awwww, so cute.