[World Refugees]
Eli doesn't have much control over his dreams right now, he's only eight. Elena's cry leaked through to him somehow, and he put himself in her dream unconsciously.
Eli was flying high over the trees near Rainbow's End, laughing as the breeze carried him. He was a great winged bird one moment, a dragon the next, delighting in the freedom he felt. He could do anything he wanted, anything-
"Mommy!"
The scream was unexpected, startling him so badly that he was sent plunging towards the ground. Eli flapped his wings frantically, only to realize seconds later that they were simply human arms again. He closed his eyes tight just before he hit the trees, then gasped in shock as he fell off his bed.
"Ow!" Sitting up, he rubbed his head and looked around the darkened room, confused. So he'd been dreaming? What had woken him up?
"Mommy!"
Lanie!
Jumping to his feet, Eli flung open the bedroom door, ready to bolt down the hall to his sister's room before he stopped in surprise. Instead of the familiar hallway, he was standing on the threshold of a musty stone corridor lined with doors. It was dimly lit every few feet with flickering torches, the shadows moving restlessly on the walls.
Frowning, he stepped into the middle of the corridor, looking around. Where was this? He wasn't in Radiant Garden's castle, he knew that. It didn't look like this, and- Oh. Mom had been reading Sleeping Beauty to them right before bed, and he bet this was that old witch's castle. Leave it to Lanie to be scared of an old story.
"Lanie! Lanie, where are you? C'mon, I can't help you if I dunno where you are!"
In answer, a door just ahead of him swung open, blowing out the nearby torch. Eli hurried through into a pitch-black room, pausing as he listened. He could hear his sister crying, but it seemed to echo. He couldn't tell where she was, just that she was here. Oh, this was stupid. He wished he had a lantern or something or-
"Duh!" At his cry, the room lit up. Several candles were floating upside down above him, chasing back the darkness. He spotted Lanie against the far wall, curled into a ball as she wept. Dashing over to her, he knelt down and hugged her tight.
"Hey, hey Lanie, it's okay! It's Eli! S'okay, big brother's here now."
She looked up with wet brown eyes, still sniffling before burying her face against his chest.
"Maweficent gonna eat me. Want mommy."
"Nothin's gonna eat you, promise. Mommy's asleep, aren't I good enough?"
"Nu-uh."
Rolling his eyes, Eli patted her back awkwardly. Sisters.
"Well you're stuck with me, so there. Um..." He glanced around the bare room, thinking. He was never gonna get her back to sleep like this.
"What's your favoritest thing ever?" He asked, already knowing the answer, but hoping for something different anyway. But if it worked...
"Bunnies!" The little girl shrieked, pushing away from him with a huge grin. "Pink bunnies, blue bunnies, purple bunnies everywhere!"
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the room had melted away, replaced by an open field covered in multi-colored bunnies. Some were the kind he'd seen on Earth the last time they'd visited, others were Dream Hares like Aria's Pancake. Eli groaned as Lanie began to clap happily.
"My bunnies!"
"Oh man. Go play, huh? I wanna go back to sleep."
His sister ignored him as her glee took over, and she scrambled to her feet, diving into the furry gathering. Eli yawned and stretched out on his stomach, smiling faintly. Maybe he'd stick around a little while longer.
Eli was flying high over the trees near Rainbow's End, laughing as the breeze carried him. He was a great winged bird one moment, a dragon the next, delighting in the freedom he felt. He could do anything he wanted, anything-
"Mommy!"
The scream was unexpected, startling him so badly that he was sent plunging towards the ground. Eli flapped his wings frantically, only to realize seconds later that they were simply human arms again. He closed his eyes tight just before he hit the trees, then gasped in shock as he fell off his bed.
"Ow!" Sitting up, he rubbed his head and looked around the darkened room, confused. So he'd been dreaming? What had woken him up?
"Mommy!"
Lanie!
Jumping to his feet, Eli flung open the bedroom door, ready to bolt down the hall to his sister's room before he stopped in surprise. Instead of the familiar hallway, he was standing on the threshold of a musty stone corridor lined with doors. It was dimly lit every few feet with flickering torches, the shadows moving restlessly on the walls.
Frowning, he stepped into the middle of the corridor, looking around. Where was this? He wasn't in Radiant Garden's castle, he knew that. It didn't look like this, and- Oh. Mom had been reading Sleeping Beauty to them right before bed, and he bet this was that old witch's castle. Leave it to Lanie to be scared of an old story.
"Lanie! Lanie, where are you? C'mon, I can't help you if I dunno where you are!"
In answer, a door just ahead of him swung open, blowing out the nearby torch. Eli hurried through into a pitch-black room, pausing as he listened. He could hear his sister crying, but it seemed to echo. He couldn't tell where she was, just that she was here. Oh, this was stupid. He wished he had a lantern or something or-
"Duh!" At his cry, the room lit up. Several candles were floating upside down above him, chasing back the darkness. He spotted Lanie against the far wall, curled into a ball as she wept. Dashing over to her, he knelt down and hugged her tight.
"Hey, hey Lanie, it's okay! It's Eli! S'okay, big brother's here now."
She looked up with wet brown eyes, still sniffling before burying her face against his chest.
"Maweficent gonna eat me. Want mommy."
"Nothin's gonna eat you, promise. Mommy's asleep, aren't I good enough?"
"Nu-uh."
Rolling his eyes, Eli patted her back awkwardly. Sisters.
"Well you're stuck with me, so there. Um..." He glanced around the bare room, thinking. He was never gonna get her back to sleep like this.
"What's your favoritest thing ever?" He asked, already knowing the answer, but hoping for something different anyway. But if it worked...
"Bunnies!" The little girl shrieked, pushing away from him with a huge grin. "Pink bunnies, blue bunnies, purple bunnies everywhere!"
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the room had melted away, replaced by an open field covered in multi-colored bunnies. Some were the kind he'd seen on Earth the last time they'd visited, others were Dream Hares like Aria's Pancake. Eli groaned as Lanie began to clap happily.
"My bunnies!"
"Oh man. Go play, huh? I wanna go back to sleep."
His sister ignored him as her glee took over, and she scrambled to her feet, diving into the furry gathering. Eli yawned and stretched out on his stomach, smiling faintly. Maybe he'd stick around a little while longer.