My Dream

🦁 Leona Kingscholar

"Leona?" Gwen called out, looking around. She was in an empty expanse of darkness. "Can you hear me?"

Gwen started walking. "I'm coming to find you!" She called out again. As she walked, she could hear Leona's voice.

Since I was born, it's felt like there's an immovable stone atop my head.

Gwen could see something in the distance. "Is that..." She ran towards it. "A door! Just like with Riddle!"

Gwen threw the door open and dashed inside, finding herself in the halls of a palace. Nearby were two people, both with zebra features.

"Huh... His Highness Farena is so bright and cheerful but..." The male looked annoyed. "Why is his younger brother so hard to please..."

The woman nodded in agreement. "On top of that, he can use magic that can change anything to sand. So terrifying."

"Could the two of you keep your mouths shut?" A third servant, looking a bit like a giraffe, came around the corner and glared. "What if someone heard you?"

"What?" Gwen was taken aback. "How could someone say such cruel things?" Something flickered in the corner of her eye. It was a tail. It was Leona's tail. He had been listening. "Oh, Leona!"

Gwen rounded the corner to see him, but when she turned the corner, she was back in the empty space.

"It'll be okay." She said. "I'm coming Leona! Just hold on!" Gwen called out. She started to walk again as Leona's voice echoed out.

Had I been born first, I'm sure they'd sing a different tune. "His Highness Leona is so thoughtful and an extremely formidable wizard. Completely different from his carefree brother."

But because I was born second instead everything I do gets nitpicked, they extol the first born at the expense of the second. No matter what I do, I'll never be first.

Gwen saw another door and opened it. "Is this his bedroom?" She wondered, looking around. Someone was lying in the bed.

It was Leona. He was a few years younger, by about five or six years. He looked asleep, but Gwen could tell he was just deep in thought.

The door behind her slammed opened. Gwen flinched and turned to see who was coming in. Leona's eyes opened, but all he did was tug the pillow closer to him.

The new person was older than Leona by a good few years. His hair and fur were a bright red. He gently closed the door behind him before glaring at Leona.

"Leona!" He snapped. "Why were you not present at the ceremony today?"

"So that must be Farena." Gwen realized.

"Ceremony?" Leona asked, twisting his face into a thoughtful expression. His eyes widened in mock realization. "Ahh, that doting-parent-party you threw to show off your son to the people?"

Leona rolled his eyes and turned over, putting his back to what must have been his older brother. "My apologies. It seems I fell back asleep."

Farena walked closer to the bed. "It's an important day to show the people the face of their future king."

Leona rolled back over onto his back. "It truly is an auspicious day." He said in a self-degrading tone. "It's the day the loathed second prince forever lost his claim to the throne."

Farena's face shifted into a mix of concern and pity. There was a hint of anger in there as well. "Don't talk like that!" He chastised.

Leona turned his head to look at his brother. "The first born really has it easy." He said in a low, almost angry tone. Jealousy was written all over his face. "Even if all you do is laze about sleeping or singing all day, you can become king."

Farena sighed, looking exasperated. Gwen got the feeling this topic of conversation was brought up often. Farena pinched the bridge of his nose. "Leona... you are intelligent." He said, like he was trying to remind Leona of that fact. "Certainly there are things you can do for this country even though you can't become king."

Leona sat up, glaring at his brother. "If becoming king was something achieved with intelligence I would have no shortage of motivation."

Leona got up from the bed and began to leave.

"Leona." Farena said, turning to watch his brother's movements. "Stop right there, Leona!"

Leona slammed the door closed, not sparing his brother another look. Gwen hurried out after him.

"Leona!!!" She shouted. "Leona! I'm almost there! Just hold on!" This time she started running through the darkness after him.

Why is it that just because I was born a few years later I have to go through all of this? I can study everything, learn all the magic there is in the world... From the moment I was born until the day I die, I will never be seen as greater than my brother and I will never be king.

Why was I born the second prince? Why will I forever be barred from being number one? Why? Why? Why? Life is unfair.

"LEONA!!!!!" Gwen screamed, tearing through the darkness. "LEONA, PLEASE!! I'm here!"

Gwen wound up in a familiar area. The place from her nightmares. The throne was empty, but she could see Leona.

Leona was standing upright, but was sinking into ink. He was sinking much more slowly than Riddle had been. A quick glance at his feet showed why. Leona had been placed in quick sand.

"Leona!" Gwen cried. She rushed over to him, grabbing his shoulders. "Wake up! Please!"

Leona stirred slowly. "Hmn..." His eyes widened. "Oi! What are you doing here!?"

"I'm saving you!" Gwen replied, wrapping her arms around him.

"What? Why?" Leona asked. "I've done nothing to deserve this from you."

"I don't care!" Gwen shouted back. "No one deserves this! You don't deserve this!"

The sand around them grew bigger, sucking Gwen in as well.

"Get out of here, Herbivore!" Leona commanded.

"No! I'm not going to leave you!" Gwen shook her head, burying her face in his chest.

The sand was rapidly swallowing them, turning into ink. Leona grabbed onto Gwen's thighs and lifted her up with all his strength, trying to keep her head above the sand and ink for as long as possible.

Gwen's eyes widened as she remembered something her teacher once told her...

***

"T-teacher... you're hurt!"

"Oh, this? Pft... this is nothing. Trust me, I've had way worse. And don't call me teacher!"

"This is all my fault."

"Yes, it is. What did I tell you about playing that deep in the woods, you brat!?"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Ugh... look, you did good, calling for me, brat. If you need me like that again, just call. I'll know."

"I promise, Teacher."

"I said not to call me that!"

"Okay, ..."

***

Gwen stuck her hand up. "TEACHER! I need your help! TEACHER!" The sand was up to her neck, and Leona's face was almost entirely buried.

"MYZ!!!"