Chapter Text
It was a few days before Yule, one of the biggest winter celebrations in Thorn Valley. Silver and Sebek sat together by the fire listening intently to Lilia as the elder was telling all of them a bed time story. The two had a cup of hot cocoa each and in their pajamas with their blankets. Lilia's face lit up as he started to speak, a sly smile spreading across his face.
"Have I ever told you the story of what happens to naughty fae children?"
"No, Father." Silver shook his head and Sebek looked up at Silver before doing the same.
"Well there is a certain fae creature that travels around this time of year. He has horns on his head and carries a sack over his shoulder."
"What is the sack for? Is it for carrying gifts?" Sebek asked, interrupting the tale.
"No, Sebek, it is actually for putting naughty children in." Lilia says pausing for effect; the sly smile still on his face.
Silver showed very little change in expression but just pulled his blanket a bit more closer to his body. However, poor little Sebek was already squirming a bit in fear. He was the younger of the two so it was to be expected but hopefully Sebek's parent's wouldn't hate Lilia for what to come at the end of the story.
"Now on cold snowy nights like this, he passes by home that have the good fae kids, but if they are there are naughty. There will be footsteps to announce his arrival and you may even hear some bells jingle as he moves. Then, ther will be 5 knocks at the door before he enters the home."
Sebek's half fae hearing began to pick up a faint jingling and as well as some footsteps in the distance. Sebek scooted closer to Silver trying to grab Silver's hand for support and to stop himself from shaking as his heart beat faster hearing the footsteps in the snow grow closer to the hut. Silver opened his blanket and allowed Sebek to rest his head against Silver's chest, noting Sebek's increased anxiety but not knowing why because his hearing had yet to pick up on the footsteps or bell.
Then there came a knock on the door, followed by five more, louder each time. Sebek clung to Silver's night shirt attempting to hide under the blanket. Silver's eyes widened briefly but then his head cocked to one side confused. The slightly older silver haired boy looked from his father to the door and back. He shook his head, taking note of his father’s slight grin.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone this evening…” Lila played off as he stood up from his chair and paused in front of the door. Slowly Lilia started to open the door before the door was pushed open on its own.
Silver squinted to make out what was in the doorway but due to the darkness and the blowing snow, he could only make out a tall shadowy figure standing in the doorway. Its large hand was covered with some darker fur and black pointy nails. Silver could only make out the arm up to the shoulder from the light in the fireplace. Something about the paler skin on the hand and wrist with the darker fur on the top of the being’s hand seemed a bit off to Silver; however, his attention was soon drawn away by a trembling Sebek peeking out of the side of the blanket wrapped around the two and trying to get under Silver’s nearest shoulder, clutching to Silver’s night shirt. If Sebek could I would climb into Silver’s lap, but Silver had moved from sitting on his knees to a half kneel. His hand reaching to his side, but realizing he couldn’t protect anyone with his wooden practice sword. Still he drew it.
The creature stepped through the door and Silver stood now, sword drawn. Sebek clung to the end of Silver’s night shirt hiding behind the elder boy. The creature, now lit by the fireplace light, had the same dark fur, or was it hair; on its chest and continuing on down to cover his entire legs as well as along his jaw. Sliver’s eyes looked over the tall figure looming over them, bag flung over its shoulder and horns on the top of its head.
The creature grinned down at the two boys in front of him, reaching out a hand towards where both Silver and Sebek stood. “Well, well, well. It looks like I have two naughty boys here. Luckily my sack is big enough.” The creature chuckled.
As Silver heard the voice, he recognized its owner. Sebek, however, had backed away as soon as the hand reached out and hid in the corner of the room away from Silver. The small lime green haired boy was visibly trembling in the corner. Silver turned back to the creature, observing that the hand reaching out had stopped and its gaze looked at Lilia as the door closed, but not before some snow had blown in. The creature gave a shrug that Sebek did not see due to him facing the corner.
“That’s enough of your pranks, Father.” Silver finally said going to Sebek’s side, trying to coax the younger out of the corner. “Uncle Baul, what trickery did Father use to get you to agree to such a hurtful prank?”
Sebek raised his head and peeked over Silver’s shoulder when he heard Silver mention his grandfather’s name. Sebek studied the creature standing just inside the house and he could see underneath all of the fake dark fur outfit and horns stood his grandfather. He jumped up from where he’d been crouched and ran over to his grandfather, starting to hit his fur covered leg.
“YOU ARE THE WORST, GRANDFATHER! I HATE YOU! I’M NEVER SPEAKING TO YOU AGAIN!” Sebek hit Baul’s legs a few more times before running up to Silver’s room.
“I hope that you two are happy.” Silver commented before going up the stairs to check on Sebek.
Baul watched the two children head up to Silver’s room before taking a seat in the nearest chair that happened to be by the fireplace. His face gave no expression as he had been taught as a soldier, but Lilia had known Baul long enough to know that his silence was the tell that he was upset. Lilia crossed over to Baul and stood in front of his former war comrade. Lilia rocked back and forth on his heels a few times with his hands in behind his back with fingers interlaced.
“Don't worry about it too much, Baul. Sebek didn’t mean what he said. You know how fickle children can be.” Lilia reached out to pat Baul’s upper arm as the taller man just shook his head silently.
After a second or two of contact, Lilia gently pulled his hand away and scurried off to his own room, humming a Yuletide tune as he did, leaving Baul sitting alone by the fire, still in his makeshift Krampus get up. Baul let out a long sigh staring at the fire a few moments before he took the presents out of the sack and placed them on the kitchen table. Seeing that the job was done, Baul picked up the now empty bag and left the little forest home for his own hoping that his grandson would forgive him, but Baul knew already that Sebek had inherited his mother’s stubborn streak. How else do you think Baul gave his blessing, even if reluctantly, for her to marry a….HUMAN? Baul shivered but he wasn’t sure if it was at the memory or the cold snowy breeze that was in the air as he continued his walk home.
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Upon entering his room, Silver found Sebek sitting on his bed with the blankets wrapped around him. Silver could make out noises coming from under the ball of blankets, but the young silver haired boy did not have sharp enough hearing to know what the noises were. As he got closer, Silver could make out the shine of tears in the other boy’s eyes from the moonlight coming in the window amplified by the snow outside. Silver slowly approached, knowing just how Sebek could snap when he was upset. Finally close enough, Silver cautiously pulled back the blanket from Sebek’s face. Silver’s hand gently stroked through Sebek’s hair just above the neckline and rested his head on top of Sebek’s head with his cheek touching the other's temple.
After a few moments of sitting in silence like this, Sebek finally spoke, “Silver…”
Silver knew what Sebek was trying to say and he simply replied with a nod and rested his hand on Sebek’s shoulder.”
“Sebek, you know that tonight was all Father’s doing and Uncle Baul was only asked to do those things to try and scare us.”
Sebek sat up with angry tears in his eyes, “But that is no excuse. If he truly cared, he would have told Lilia no. He is a weak man for saying yes. Or perhaps he is laughing downstairs at how he gave me such a fright. Such a man is not worthy of being my grandfather.”
Silver sighed knowing just how stubborn Sebek could be. This could take months before he’d forgive his grandfather if at all. Silver hoped to make Sebek come around sooner than that or tomorrow’s Yule get together was going to be very awkward. Silver pulled his sleep shirt sleeve over his hand and reached out to wipe away Sebek’s remaining tears from both eyes and then moved to Sebek’s nose. His nose was still a little red but not anything that would not recover after a bit of rest and if he stayed out of the cold and snowy weather. As it was night, that wasn’t going to happen unless the two boys wanted to freeze.
Sliver dropped his hand back down on the bed and held out his other in front of Sebek. Focusing his energy into his open palm, various colored lights started dancing out from his open hand. Sebeck watched with eyes widening as the light show grew. A small smile spread across Sebek’s lips as the lights now danced around where Sebek sat.
“Wow! It’s like little fairies dancing around me.” Sebek giggled, spinning around slightly on the bed while trying to follow each of the dots of colored light. “How did you do that?”
Silver shrugged, “I just focused on what I wanted to happen and it worked.”
A small smile could be seen on Silver’s lips as well. The lights faded as quickly as they came and the two were left in the room just lit by the moonlight reflecting off the Yuletide snow. Silver had been looking out the window but when Sebek turned back to the silver haired boy, he had nodded off in the position that he'd been sitting in. Sebek pulled up the blanket to cover Silver and then decided with a yawn that he should probably also try to rest himself.
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Yule celebration went as well as could be expected considering the prank Lilia decided to pull on the children.. Sebek was all smiles with Silver as they played with their wooden swords that had been their main gift but would toss glares to the adults each time they came close to him. Silver tried to encourage Sebek to at least talk with his grandfather and when the gentle encouragement did not work, Silver tried a different tactic.
“Hey, Sebek. Let’s have a match.” Silver suggested, holding his wooden sword at the ready. “If I win, you’ll make up with Uncle Baul and accept his apology.”
“If I win, you’ll drop the whole thing. I can choose when I want to talk to him. If I ever do want to…”
Those were the last words the two exchanged as the sparing began. The swords knocked across each other with each contact they exchanged. Though Lilia had taught the both of them the way of the sword each had taken different interpretations. Sebek was much more known for attacking and trying to wear down his opponent into giving an opening; Silver bided his time with properly executed parries and then would strike when the opening presented itself.
Lilia smiled at the two boys sparing in the living room as Baul simply sat beside Lilia quiet, and perhaps secretly hoping for his grandson to lose in this case. Baul knew that he’d made many mistakes in his past including not accepting Sebek at first simply because he was not fully fae born, but it did not mean that he disliked being grandfather to Sebek as he got to know the child. His soldier eyes studied the sparring and he knew that Sebek was getting a little too aggressive which was also causing the younger boy to start tiring a bit. Silver was also smart enough to see this and after a few more parries, Silver made his strike, knocking Sebek’s wooden sword out of his hand and tapped the younger boy on his left shoulder with the sword.
“It looks like I won, Sebek. A deal’s a deal.” Silver gestured over towards where Baul sat.
Sebek stood up and took his time brushing himself off. The boy was stubborn but would honor his word, because a Zigvolt never broke his promise. He slowly walked over to his grandfather and simply stood there in silence looking down at his feet. Baul also remained quiet just gesturing for Sebek to sit on his thigh. Sebek followed the command and climbed up into the much bigger man’s thigh. His eyes met his grandfathers and all that was said was just in the look as Sebek leaned in to hug his grandfather.
“Well I will say that this has been quite a successful Yule celebration.” Lilia clapped his hands together with a light chuckle completely oblivious to Silver and Baul shaking their heads behind him.