"Auberon I can't slEeEeEeEeEeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!" Liviana dramatically flopped on to her side as she WHINED loudly at the sad fact of her poor life.
Melany let out a annoyed huff as she tried to cover her ears with her paws. "Dad! Do SOMETHING or no one is going to get a wink of sleep before the sun comes up! Who sad she could come over for a 'sleep over' anyways?"
Auberon let out a sigh. "Melany, be nice to your aunt. She came over for a sleep over."
"SLEEPOVERRRRR!" Liviana clapped her paws together in excitement. "Isn't this FUN Mel-Mel?" She was so excited to be bonding with her niece.
"No." Melany was flat in her response. "I could be having a dream about being the best shifter ever right about now."
Liviana looked to her niece puzzled. "But you're not a shifter."
"Not right now but one day! And I will be the terror of the forest to everything that wanders into it with claws and teeth and blood and guts!" Melany voice rose in the excitement of the idea then lowered again. "I will be so cool."
Liviana let out a loud gasp. "Not the teeth!"
"Ok you two. Enough." Auberon shook his head. His sister was such a child all the time so he had to real her back in and maybe calm down his daughter. "I have an idea. How about a story?"
Melany scoffed. "A story? Really? No one wants to hear a story-"
"I DO I DO! TELL US A STORY BIG BRO!" Liviana cut off her sassy niece to excitably exclaim how this was the best idea ever.
Melany rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"We're in agreement? Good. Alright let's see...Once upon a time...." Auberon started up.
"Boring. Do something more exciting dad. How about 'the lands were bathed in darkness and blood'!" Melany interjected.
"You can't change stories. That's against the story law!"
"Yes you can. Dad is just making this all up."
"I am not." Auberon huffed even though his daughter was correct.
"YOU CAN CHANGE STORIES?" Liviana's mind was blown.
"Once upon a time!" Aurbeon ignored the two ladies and started up the story again. "There was a herd that lived by the tallest mountains. At the base of that mountain in the largest, deepest caved lived a terrible monster that terrorized the herd. They feared it, seeing it as a god of anger and fury."
"Why didn't they just try to destroy it?" Melany interrupted.
"Shhhh! You need to be quiet for story time! It was just getting to the good part!" Liviana tried to quiet her niece.
"Not it wasn't. He was just setting up the story Livi." The filly rolled her eyes at her aunt.
"And that's why I'm getting to that Melany. The herd had sent their best warriors to defeat the monster but none were successful. They came back bleeding and beaten or worst, they didn't come back at all. The herd was desperate. How could they defeat this monster? There had to be something someone could do." Auberon paused for effect. Liviana was hanging onto every word spoken. Melany was looking away but her ear was pointed towards her father. Good enough.
"One day a savior stepped forward. The beautiful herd princess. She was tired of seeing her people suffer under the monstress tyrant. She was tired of sitting back and watching her herd mates, family and friends, risk themselves while she did nothing. The herd begged her not to. She was too important. They needed her. But she had made up her mind. She had to do something. If brawns could not solve the problem what about brains and beauty?"
"So off the princess went. Past the mountains of bones around the creatures lair. Her heart was pounding. A steam vent erupted beside her as she gazed down into the darkness that was home of the beast. Suddenly she heard a noise. Growling and gnashing of teeth! The noises echoing through the gave were not like any the princess had heard before. It was coming closer. Like a stampede of bison the ground seemed to shake as the monster reached the entrance of the cave. Then she saw it. The monster. The cause of all their problems. It was....It was...It was!" Auberon again paused for effect.
"It was what?" Melany looked to her father for the first time, she wanted to know what the horrible monster was.
"...It was a honey badger." Auberon had a cheeky smile on his face. Liviana gasped at the reveal and Melany's face fell into angry and disappointment.
Melany was SO not amused. "A BADGER? ARE YOU SERIOUS DAD? You're full of s**t you know that?"
"Little Missy watch your language. And yes. A badger. What? What's with that face Melany? Have you ever gone up against a badger? I don't even mess with them. Horrifying animals." He let out a small chuckle at his daughter's disappointment the animal was so simple.
"So what happened after that big bro?" Liviana's eyes were wide with wonder.
"Hmmm? Oh the princess turned around, told the herd 'nope' and they moved elsewhere. Everyone lived happily ever after, unless someone got close to the badger's home." He was trying to keep his laughter in at this point.
"That was such a good story I think I can go to bed now thank you best big bro!" Liviana spoke fast as she got comfy in her spot.
"I hate you." Melany spat out her words in annoyance.
"Love you both. Good night." He was never going to let his daughter hear the end of this.
Word Count: 940