Look, I'm not dead! I'm back, and alive! XD Anywho, sorry for taking so long, but here it finally is.
Oh, and before I forget, you've got to check out KaylaDestroyer's newest story, Pirate Twins! It's spectacular, you'd be doing yourself a huge favor by reading it! So far only one chapter, but still awesome! Don't forget to check it out!
Warning: Beware extreme cuteness…
Disclaimer: I don't own Ice Age (I wish).
Enjoy!
Lela couldn't help bouncing in excitement as Raz sat her down in her carved chair. She wondered what this special surprise was that she'd spoken of. Perhaps an extra piece of honeycomb? Her own sprite sized flower to put in her fur. "Now hold still…" she ordered gently, taking the little mouse's face in her hands, gently tilting it up and side to side, getting a good view of her face, assessing it. Her little wings turned a brilliant yellow and buzzed in excitement. Suddenly, the to-be queen snapped her fingers. "Ah've go' it." And she picked up a comb.
Lela was surprisingly patient. She didn't voice pain at the slight tangles in her fur as they were brushed out. She ignored the spritzing and sprinkling of water applied to her face. She didn't squirm at the odd feeling of her claws being filed. "Um… M- M'lady?"
"Aye Sheila?" Raz asked, slightly muffled, as she was holding something in her teeth. "An ya can jus' call me Raz."
"A-Alright. Raz?"
"Mm?"
"What're you doing?"
"Well if Ah toldja" Lela could feel her ears being pulled together by something. "I' wouldn' be a s'prise, now would i'?"
"I don' know." The little mouse answered honestly. "I never had a surprise b'fore."
"Wha…" Raz sounded stunned. "How come?" she pulled a knot tight somewhere Lela couldn't see.
"Thas wha happens when yer mommy an daddy abandon you."
She gasped and nearly dropped her comb. Why in the world would someone abandon such a wonderful little girl? "Aw Lela, Ah'm sorr'eh."
"It's fine." her little girl voice was far too serious. "I don't care. They didn't, so I don't either."
Raz could only continue brushing in shock. As she preened her fur, she wondered, was this how every child grew up here on this island? With no parents, with no one to love them, no one to call their own?
Now, she didn't have parents growing up either, but it didn't really matter. She had five goodhearted older brothers that loved her, took care of her, were always there when she needed them. she was never lonely, and never had any reason to fear. She had a family; just because there was no mother or father didn't mean she had no family. She was loved and cared for, she was happy; she had a good childhood, all around. But here… didn't any children get to know their parents, besides the royal sprites? Albeit she only knew two of the children here, Opal and little Lela, so perhaps she was assuming, but what if… what if she was right? What if none of the kids here had family of any kind, no parents, no siblings… no one to play with them, tuck them in? Make them feel special? No one to make the little girls cute little flowery crowns to wear, no one for the boys to wrestle with?
"Lela?"
"Yeah?"
"Hmm…" she set the brush down and turned the little girl to look at her. "Somethin's missing…" she snapped her fingers, before going to her bedside table, calling for the little girl to close her eyes. She did. When Raz came back over, Lela still stood there, arms behind her back, rocking back and forth on her heels, eyes closed, a nervous smile on her face, biting her lip. She set her retrieved item on the mouselings head. "There… open yer eyes."
She did, promptly gasping in amazement when Raz gently set her on the chair before the polished disk of flattened pearl they used for a mirror. "Wow…" she breathed, turquoise eyes wide and bright. "Pretty…" her fur was done, brushed out, silky, fluffy, and flawless. Raz had found a little lily petal skirt in her carved bark wardrobe, and had gently slipped it onto the tiny girl, the petals curling outward at the hem, so it bobbed festively whenever she moved. She'd been sprinkled with a pretty silver sparkly dust that Raz had found in a dish on the vanity table she now sat at. Her wings had been gently caressed and polished with a special gloss that was handy, so they were shimmery and clear and clean as could, like they'd been dipped in oil. And there, finishing off the look, was her lotus crown, a bit too big on the little girl, but looking as pretty as anything. "Is that… is that me?" she whispered.
"Sure is." Raz gave her a proud smile as the mouse's wings turns a bright festive yellow, indicating her joy. Her smile was too big for her face it seemed, and it was the expression of pure and utter joy that made Raz's own spirits lift, her wings turning magenta pink. "If there's one thing Ah've learned" She sat down in the vanity chair when Lela flitted into the air, promptly scrambling into her lap and hugging her tight, snuggling into her warm fur happily. "Iss' tha, no matta where ya are in the world, evra lil girl, at some poin' in life, wan's ta be a princess."
"And I am now! Looky! I'm pretty now!"
"Ya sure are." She chuckled and straightened her lotus wreath, those big beautiful eyes meeting hers, filled to the brim with happiness and respect and admiration. The little sprite girl peaked at her for a moment from under the brim of white petals, before flitting up and throwing her arms around her neck, squeezing her tight.
"Thank you!" she squealed, before her voice went soft. "Thanks… bunches and bunches…"
Raz blinked for a moment, observing their reflection for a moment, before tenderly hugging back. Her grip became possessive and protective for a moment, bowing her head over the child's, and for a long time they stayed like that, the future queen trying to ignore the single tear dribbling down one cheek.
"Raz?"
She reached up quickly and swiped the water away before the mouse pulled away to look up at her adoringly. "Aye?"
Suddenly she looked shy. "Tell me a story."
She blinked, slightly startled; she hadn't been expecting that. "What?"
She yawned suddenly and rubbed her eyes. "tell me a story. I never heard a bedtime story before. Please?"
Her expression softened. "Alright." Picking her up, she gently glided to the walnut bed, sliding in, Lela beside her. The little mouse lay on her stomach, head propped on her elbows, watching her expectantly. "Alrigh… think I'll tell ya the story of the Sea's Sapphire Sceptor t'night…"
And so Raz told her the tale of adventure, mystical things, far off places that existed perhaps just beyond the horizon. Lela listened intently, loving every bit of it, desperately trying to keep her eyes open. Raz knew the story by heart; it was her favorite bedtime story as a child, and one of her brothers would tell it to her nearly every night. It wasn't until near the very end of the story that she noticed Lela had fallen asleep, head in her lap, breathing soft and gentle, the lotus crown over her eyes. Raz smiled down at herm gently removing the flower wreath, setting it aside. Sliding down in bed, she gently pulled the little girl into a more comfortable position, beside her with her head on the pillow. She clicked her teeth to the firefly high above, and it obediently flickered off. She snuggled into bed, Lela snuggled close.
And just like that, Queen Raz and Princess Lela fell asleep.
Here we go! I'm sosorry for taking so long, really I am! Sorry, I've been kinda sick lately, for about the last two weeks or so, I've been so tired I barley have enough to do my homework or eat dinner before I crash. Sorry, I'll try to get to bed early tonight and maybe I'll be able to get another chapter up.