Bed Time Story

     Every night she read them bedtime stories, it was practically a tradition. It started as soon as Calister was born, even though he didn't understand a word they said, Lhitia read Donny to sleep and Calister was already in her arms, so he ended up participating in the moment too and grew up and got used to the night read. And even though Donny was already a teenager, he still liked to spend time with his mom and little brother and liked to hear Lhitia reading stories.

     “So, what's it going to be?”

     “Mmm... Roobin Wood?” suggested Donny.

     “Which one is this, brother?” Cal questioned.

     “It’s the one about the Blumaroo who steals from the rich to give to the poor!”

     “Ohhh... That's nice, but mommy read it not so long ago!” exclaimed the younger one. “How about the one about the Techo who buys magic beans?”

     “Again?” Donny grimaced.

     “Yes, I like that one!’

     “But I don't like it that much!”

     “Okay, okay... How about the Ugly Mallard?” Lhitia suggested with a smile trying to convince the boys.

     “Ahhh no... I'd like the one with the magic beans!”

     “Aww, Calister, every time it's your choice!” Donny frowned and pouted as he crossed his arms, his little brother always had the upper hand in these kinds of things.

     “Hey, no fighting or there won't be a bed story tonight!” the mother warned them, and the boys quickly straightened up in their beds. “I’ll choose!”

     Lhitia pulled book after book out of the box and sighed. She needed to buy new books urgently, all those books had already been read, more than once. She made a mental note that she would go to Neopia Central during this week to buy some new reading choices for her children.

     “Angelpuss in Boots… The Princess and the Mortog... The Princess and the Chia Pea...” she mumbled name by name aloud as she took the books out of the box. “You don't like princess stories much, right?” she giggled with her hand in front of her lips. “And to think I was a princess...”

     “I got it!” Donny's smile brightened as he heard his mother's statement about her being a princess. “Why don't you tell the story of how you and Dad met?”

     Lhitia stopped moving and, with the books in her hands, looked at her son, who was staring at her expectantly. Cal widened his eyes and smiled broadly.

     “Yeah, good idea, brother!”

     “Well, but... This is not a bedtime story...”

     “But it is a story!”

     “Yes! Please Mom, please, please, please!” Cal clasped both paws together in front of his chest in an act of supplication.

     He loved to hear little stories about his father that he had never had the opportunity to meet. All he knew about Munky were the stories that Donny and Lhitia told him.

     Lhitia smiled sweetly as she saw the eyes of her two little boys sparkling. She never told Cal this story, but Donny already knew it, because when he was a little boy, before all the crazy changes that happened in their lives, Munky and she told it to him once. So, it’s only fair to tell Cal too.

     She put the books back inside the box. Slowly, she settled into the chair in the room, placing it between the two beds, and sat down, taking this moment to take a deep breath and swallow dryly without being noticed by her children. It had been a long time since Munky had left, Cal was already three years old, but even so, Lhitia missed her beloved husband every single day, and remembering the moment they met would still be a little bit tough to her, but she was willing to give her best.

     “Okay then… I'll tell you...”

     “Yaaay!” The Poogles boys cheered.

     “Once upon a time...” she started with the traditional line from all fairy tales, even if her story itself was not a fairy tale at all. “There was a little princess who dreamed of marrying a strong and brave warrior. One day, the little princess and her father, the King, were having a picnic on the grounds of the Brightvale castle where they lived...”

     And so, her mind kept remembering that moment, as she was telling them...

     That morning Lhitia was excited about the picnic with her father, who had prepared some sandwiches and brought some fruits for them to eat. However, they had not counted on fire in the castle that had taken over most of the Brightvale hills. Seeing that he needed help to deal with that fire, the King sent his daughter in search of her former master, the Techo Master, while he tried to keep the fire from spreading further. Although the little Poogle princess was still very small, she could fend for herself and didn’t hesitate to run to meet his father’s master.

     But she had hardly been out of the Brightvale region and because of this, not only did she not know much about the places, but she also had no idea of all the dangers that this world possessed. She ended up getting lost and, on her way, she came across bad and hungry Grarrls which she defeated mercilessly because the Poogle princess was not only royalty, she was also a fighter and knew how to defend herself. She also came across desert thieves who tried to rob her, but they were too strong for her and, then, just as she was about to fight the thieves, her prince charming appeared...

     “IT WAS DADDY, IT WAS DADDY!” Cal shouted excitedly, interrupting his mother who smiled sweetly at him.

     “Yes, yes, it was Munky.” Lhitia agreed.

     “But he wasn't a prince!” Donny added.

     “Oh no, not at all, he wasn't exactly Prince Charming. He was a Fire Poogle!” she giggled.

     “Me too, me too!” Cal exclaimed proudly and Donny giggled.

     “And I am an Electric Poogle!” Said Donny. “And mommy a Royal Girl Poogle!”

     Lhitia smiled and continued: “And the little princess was very curious when she saw her saviour approaching… He had a different colour, he certainly wasn’t a prince, he wasn’t royalty, and even less did he come riding a big, beautiful white horse as in fairy tales, no… The small, strong, and brave warrior appeared ready to fight the bad thieves!”

     “Was he strong?!” Cal asked excitedly.

     “Super strong! And after we both defeated the thieves, they both went to Master Techo’s house to call for his help with the castle fire. During their walk, however, that brave little Poogle warrior made the little princess fall in love with him...”

     “And how about the castle?” Donny asked.

     “Oh, Munky and Master Techo both helped the King to put out the fire and the castle, as the Brightvale hills were saved!”

     “Whoa! I wanna be as strong as Dad!” said Cal.

     “I’m sure you will, honey!” Lhitia smiled and patted her youngest head. “You and your brother!”

     “Tell me more, Mommy!” Cal looked at his mom with his best puppy eyes.

     Lhitia giggled and started another story. She could spend all night long telling stories to them. To her beloved children!

     She was telling a story where both of them were chasing a sneaky Talpidat, but by the time she realized it, her two boys were snoring loudly.

     Lhitia smiled tenderly and her heart warmed deep in her chest. She silently got up from the chair where she sat and turned off the lights in the room, but before she left, she still took one last look at them. She was the luckiest Poogle in the whole Neopia to have two beautiful, wonderful children like her babies.

     The best gifts she could ever have had!

     The End.