Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino

The Destiny Stone

By Lola Presents

Chapter 1

Lincoln walked along Main street, looking in every shop window he passed. Tomorrow was his mother's birthday, and he wanted to give her something special, thoughtful, and from the heart. Yet, he had no idea what to give her. As a working adult, she had the money to buy herself anything she needed. And at forty years of age, she had probably already gotten everything on her list.

For the past week, he'd asked around and grilled his siblings on what they got her. However, his sisters either had terrible ideas or kept quiet, hoping he wouldn't try to outdo them. Time was running short, and his patience was wearing thin. As always, Lincoln and his father were the last two to purchase something, and the pressure was on. If only he knew what his mother wanted or needed.

While Lincoln's father perused stores on the other side of the street, where the expensive jewelry and other items got sold, Lincoln chose the lesser costly of the two. It also happened to be the side that had the most consignment shops and questionable vendors. However, Lincoln didn't have much choice as his wallet was thin. As he was about to give up hope, he gazed into the window of a shop he'd never seen before.

After looking at the exciting display for a few moments, he entered the shop without reading the name stenciled on the door. Though the offerings looked more along Lucy's tastes, he was intrigued, and something told him this was where he'd find the perfect gift. As the thirteen-year-old browsed the shelves and glass-covered cases, a thin aging man eyed him from beyond the counter in the back of the store.

The man smoked a long pipe, wore a dark green trench coat, and had long, shaggy white hair. Lincoln peered at the man for a moment before putting down an item from a shelf from which a "Do Not Handle" sign hung. Turning red, he focused on the wares again. As much as he had to admit it, he couldn't make up his mind and decided to approach the odd shopkeeper, but as he turned around, the older man was already standing next to him.

"Shopping for your mother, I see," the man muttered in a husky, gravelly tone as he took a long puff from his pipe, exhaling the smoke with reckless abandon.

"Um," hummed Lincoln, utterly shocked by the man's sudden appearance and strange intuition. "Yeah, how did you know?"

The man stared blankly with faded eyes and blew another large plume of smoke into the boy's face. "Come," the odd old man muttered, turning abruptly and hobbling off on one weak leg. "I have just what you need."

Lincoln hesitated but followed the shopkeeper regardless. Once the man had retreated behind the counter near the back, he began shuffling through some old boxes, eventually producing a small container not much larger than one a ring might come in.

Blowing the dust off it, the man opened the box and set it on the counter for the customer to inspect. Inside was a necklace with a small red stone attached. The stone was shaped like a teardrop, translucent, and glowed slightly, its surface covered in finely honed facets reflecting the light.

"Wow!" exclaimed Lincoln as he gazed at the precious artifact. "It's lovely. What is it?"

"It is called a destiny stone," the man muttered, seeming almost annoyed. "It is said that whoever wears this at night will have their most unfulfilled desires answered," he continued. "Now, do you want it or not?"

"I, uh..." stammered Lincoln, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, but I don't know if I can afford it. It looks expensive. How much is it?"

"I'm afraid this item is not for sale," the man mumbled, confusing Lincoln until he continued. "Take it. It's yours," the man conceded, taking a puff on his pipe while sliding the small box toward the boy. "It always was."

"Are you serious?" Lincoln gasped, reaching for the box and staring at the jewel within. "Thank you so much!" chirped Lincoln as he closed the lid and pocketed the container.

While Lincoln had always gotten taught to pay his debts, he was encouraged not to look a gift horse in the mouth and thanked the man profusely before leaving the shop and making his way back to the van where his father was waiting.

"Hey, son!" called Lynn as his son climbed into the van, shut the door, and buckled in. "What did you get her?"

"It's a surprise," Lincoln stated, not wanting anyone to see his gift until his mother unwrapped it. "What about you?"

"Oh, I had a hard time deciding," admitted his father as he started the van. "But, I eventually settled on a new set of linens, blankets, and pillow shams. She'd been talking about getting something new for months."

"That's nice!" exclaimed Lincoln as they headed toward home. "I'm sure she'll love them."

Lincoln had no clue whether his mother would like the bedding or not but felt like encouragement was in order. Conversely, he was confident that his mother would adore his present, and the child couldn't wait to give it to her. The only question that remained was whether to wrap it or not. The ornate leather box was already presentable and gave off a charm of its own.

When they finally pulled into their driveway and parked, Lincoln dashed into the house and upstairs to his room, where he hid the box under his bed. His sisters tried to bar his way, demanding to know he'd gotten their mother, but Lincoln was in no mood to spoil the surprise and deftly avoided them.

Knowing his siblings would be relentless in their pursuit, he decided to remain in his room and spend what remained of the evening reading. Pulling out his most recent comic haul, he selected a few titles he'd picked up while looking for something new.

Thumbing through a graphic novel called Arcadia, he followed along as the main character learned he had ancestral dragon blood, destined to fight the draconic horde that terrorized his lord's kingdom. It was an often used trope, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.

Soon, Lincoln heard his father calling from downstairs. Dinner was ready, and Lincoln was staring. Bounding down the stairs, he sat and waited for the dishes to get served before digging in. Upstairs, underneath the boy's bed, a faint red glow could be seen, slowly pulsing in the dark.

"Dad!" Luan complained, pointing at her brother. "Lincoln's not telling us what he got mom after we told him what we got her! It's not fair!"

"Well, hun," sighed Lynn Sr., "he didn't tell me either. He wants it to be a surprise for everyone."

"That's stupid!" exclaimed Lana. "It's mom's birthday. Not ours. Why do we have to wait too?"

"Now, baby," cooed their mother. "Don't pester your brother. If he wants it to be a surprise, then let it be a surprise. Besides, it's not the gift that counts. It's the thought."

Admonished, Lincoln's returned to their meals. Lincoln did likewise and focused on his food to avoid the glares he was getting, and dinner seemed to drag on forever. Luckily, he made it through the courses without further incident, unless you call Lola trying to slip him a five-dollar bill under the table as payment in return for him telling her what he got their mother an incident.

After dinner and everyone had cleaned their mess, Lincoln returned to his room to finish his graphic novel. As the evening wore on, five of his siblings and their father knocked on his door in vain attempts to find out his present. The boy kept ushering them away, meeting them at the door and reminding them of their mother's instructions at dinner.

Lincoln was never so glad when nightfall came, and everyone had their turn at the restroom. Hopefully, there'd be no further investigations by his sisters, covert or otherwise. One by one, his siblings entered their rooms and turned off their lights. And when all was silent, he locked his door and retrieved the little box that rested under his bed.

Opening the lid once more, he gazed at the stone that dangled from the lightweight golden chain. It was beautiful, and its soft faint glow seemed to call him. For a moment, he considered wearing it that night to see if the tale regarding it were accurate but decided against it, wanting to save whatever enchantment it held for his mother.

Lincoln didn't believe in magic. At least, real magic. He loved prestidigitation, but that was something else entirely. And, it didn't matter if the stone held any sway over destiny. Simply believing something good will happen often leads to scenarios in which someone can willingly make their own good fortune.

Eventually, Lincoln began to yawn, and after closing the lid and replacing the gift under his bed, he nestled into his covers. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough, and he was confident his sisters felt the same. However, his mother might not. After all, when you're middle-aged, birthdays gradually become reminders that they are running out of them.

Nevertheless, tomorrow would be unique. Lincoln could feel it in his heart, and as he drifted off to sleep, his dreams turned to more mundane things, like fighting villains or finding treasure on a remote island. His REM cycles filled his head with bizarre and unusual dreams that night as his brain subconsciously tried to imagine the possibilities.

He rose the following day to a bright beam of sunlight as it kissed his face and warmed his cheeks. The noise level in the house had already exceeded his parent's typical maximum tolerance, but having gotten used to it over the years, he'd slept through it. Sitting up, he stretched and yawned, then sat there, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Okay," griped Lola, holding out a ten-dollar bill as he left his room, fully dressed and ready to go, the tiny box hidden in his pocket. "This is my last offer. Tell me what you got her, and it's yours."

"I already told you, Lola," complained Lincoln, moving past her and ignoring her offering. "Not until later! Mom gets to see it first!"

His obnoxious little sister rolled her eyes, stashing the bill in her pocket before heading downstairs, following her brother. When Lincoln reached the living room, he was surprised to see everyone already assembled. He knew his mother hadn't planned on holding her celebration until later, but it appeared as if the family had other ideas.

"Come on, mom!" begged Luna excitedly. "We all have other things to do, and we can't wait to see your reactions to our gifts!"

"Please?" added Lynn Jr. "Mine's going to blow your socks off."

"I'm not wearing any socks," Rita replied, chuckling as Luan burst into laughter. Then, noticing the last of her children arrive, "Oh, hi Lincoln. Good morning, Lola."

"I hate to say it, mom," Lincoln said, adding to the pleas, "but since we're already here at one time and pretty excited, why not go ahead and open your gift now? We can always have the cake and ice cream later."

"He does have a point, honey," sighed their father. "Go ahead. Look at their eager faces."

Rita glanced at her children and gave in. "Okay, fine," she sighed, holding out her hand. "Who's first?"

"I nominate Lincoln!" chirped Leni enthusiastically. "We all want to see what he got you anyway!"

"Uh uh," barked Lincoln. "If anything, I'm going last. Pick someone else."

"Here!" exclaimed Lana, shoving a card into her mother's hand. "You can open mine first. I made it myself!"

Smiling, Rita ran her finger along the seal and pulled out the card, which displayed a picture of herself and Lana at the park, drawn in crayon, with the note, "Happy birthday, mommy! Don't eat too many worms, or you'll spoil your appetite for cake later." On closer inspection, the scene depicted them standing in mud, holding a cluster of worms in their hands.

"Thank you, sweetie," cooed Rita, trying with difficulty to show her appreciation.

"Count 'em!" ordered Lana. "There's forty! Twenty for each of us."

"Okay," sighed Rita, wanting to get past the event. "Who's next?"

For the next half an hour, Rita opened her children's and husband's gifts as they got placed in her hands, oohing and aahing over each one. Finally, it was Lincoln's turn, as he insisted on going last. Smiling broadly, he fished the little box from his pocket and handed it to his mother.

"I hope you like it," he murmured, suddenly unsure of himself.

"Oh!" cooed Rita as she ran her fingers over the intricate gold-leaf inlay, feeling the old worn texture of the leather. "This is lovely. What's in it?"

"Open it and see!" encouraged Lincoln, already pleased with her reaction.

Slowly, Rita opened the tiny container, and her eyes lit up. "Oh, my, God, Lincoln!" she gasped. "This is so beautiful! Please tell me you didn't spend everything you had on it. It looks expensive."

"No, I didn't," answered her son, keeping its lack of cost a secret. "It's called a destiny stone," he informed her as she reached into the little box and took out the necklace for everyone to see.

"Come here, Lincoln," Rita cooed, beckoning him forth. "You should be the one to put it on me."

"Oh, no," Lincoln replied, waving her off. "I couldn't do that. Besides, you're only supposed to wear it at night. The shopkeeper told me that if you do, all your wishes will come true," he explained.

"Well, okay then," sighed Rita, still beaming at the gift as she placed it back in the box. "You can put it on me later. Alright?"

"I'd be happy to," chirped Lincoln as he got hit with several pillows.

"Showoff!" yelled Lynn, smacking her brother with a throw pillow.

"Yeah!" echoed Lola, hitting with another. "You never got ME anything like that!"

"Where exactly did you get this, Lincoln?" inquired Lucy once the soft onslaught ceased.

"Just some curio shop downtown," Lincoln said, recalling the experience. "I don't remember what its name, though. I'm not even sure it had one."

"Lincoln," sighed Lucy mournfully. "There is no curio shop downtown. There are none in all of Royal Woods. Why do you think I have to order everything online? Besides, I've never heard of a destiny stone."

"You worry too much," chuckled Lincoln, proud of his gift. "You don't know everything."

But as satisfied as he was, he had to admit there was something odd about the stone, something he couldn't place. He'd never seen a crystal glow as that one did, though that might've been a trick of the light. In any event, his mother seemed thrilled at his gift, and she was undoubtedly a much better judge of such things than his gloomy sister.

After wishing their mother a happy birthday for the thousandth time and sharing hugs with her, his siblings began leaving for their regularly scheduled activities. With most of them gone, the rest of the day sailed by quickly, especially for Lincoln, who was too full of energy to get bored.

Eventually, his sisters returned, one at a time, and dinner came and went, after which their father served cake, ice cream, chips, and soda to celebrate his wife's birthday. Some of his siblings complained about his extravagant gift, but the irritation soon subsided as they saw their mother using or admiring their own.

People began lining up for the restroom as the festivities died down, but Lincoln lingered a moment longer. "Alright, mom," he said, getting her attention as she rose to clear the table. "I'll be going to bed soon, so I guess I can go ahead and put the necklace on you now."

"I'd love that," she cooed, putting the plates back down and pulling the box from her pocket where she'd kept it all day. After handing it back to her son, she sat down in her chair and pulled her hair up to give him better access to her neck. And as gently as he could, Lincoln lifted the jewelry from the box, disengaged the latch, and draped it around her neck.

Then, securing the little clasp, he stood back. "There you go, mom!" he exclaimed with pride. "I hope it works, and you get everything you want."

"I'm sure it will, sweetie," she said, holding the stone in her hand and gazing at it. "But I already have the perfect family. What else could I possibly want?"

"Oh, I don't know," signed Lincoln, shrugging. "But it's supposed to bring you whatever your heart desires most. You might not even be aware of it."

"Thank you, baby," Rita said, standing and kissing his head. "I'll treasure it forever. But..." she sighed. "It's getting late. You need to get ready for bed yourself."

Nodding, Lincoln headed upstairs and took his place in the line. There were only three siblings in front of him, and things went by quickly. Soon, he found himself snuggled in bed, nestled under the covers. And as he succumbed to the call of slumber, he began wondering what his mother might subconsciously want.

A million different things passed through his mind, though they were all material. It never once occurred to him that what his mother might want and desperately need was something immaterial. As the nocturnal cloak covered his mind, his mind wandered off toward thoughts of its own, and he lay there, snoring like a chainsaw.

Downstairs, Rita mindless fondled the little rock that hung around her neck as she prepared for bed. Finally climbing in beside her husband, wearing her old, thick floral-print cotton gown, she got comfortable and went to sleep, thinking only of how wonderful her family was.

Yet somewhere, in the dark recesses of her subconscious mind, she had the strongest feeling something was missing in her life, something she either never had or had forgotten. The same thought had pestered her nightly mind for almost three decades, and she still hadn't discovered what it was.