The King found his nights troubled by distressing dreams. He found himself high above a deep chasm, and he had to stay balanced, standing on the edge of a long blade which traversed the chasm. Staying balanced took extreme effort and concentration; should he lean too far to either side, left or right, he would plunge to his doom. Yet he had to cross, walking on the edge of the knife.
After many nights of lost sleep, he took his concerns to the Queen.
"Do you think these dreams concern our youngest prince?"
"Yes, I do."
"Think back... Visualize the chasm, what do you see?"
The King closed his eyes and concentrated.
"On my left... Deep down at the bottom... I see all the work we've done. Every treatment, every therapy, every exercise..." He paused, then concentrated some more.
"On my right, is everything we haven't done... Other families in our situation seem to do more, and maybe they need to. So far the Lightning Kid is doing excellently... Is it because of the work we've done, or the times we've just relaxed and been a family? Is it the Lightning Kid's own innate strength that is keeping him on the straight and narrow? Is it just luck? If we don't know and can't tell the difference, how do we keep this up?"
The King slumped his shoulders under the weight of it all. The Queen reminded him:
"Everything in life is like that; too much of just about anything is bad... All parents have to strike a balance between lenient fun and structured discipline, between spending time with family and putting food on the table. Not just families walk the edge of the knife, but perhaps they worry more about it for their children's sake... the stakes are so much higher."
"That is true... All we can do is continue as we have been, follow our instincts and most importantly love our children. It's just..."
"I know... the edge of the knife hurts my feet too."
Monday, July 9, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The Lightning Kid, The Throne, and The Food
The months flew by, and the Lightning Kid continued to grow. He had gotten a strong back which he could arch when lying on his belly, to better see the world and whoever was visiting. The King and Queen brought in advisers to help him with learning more... and the next big step was to sit.
Sitting is very important when you're a monarch! You can't exactly lie down on the throne (though the King and Queen sometimes found themselves wishing they could try, as both children had given them more than a few sleepless nights). At first the Lightning Kid needed a lot of safeguarding so that he wouldn't throw himself backwards. As he progressed, he was able to sit on the throne, as long as there were many pillows surrounding him and propping him up. They were rather regal pillows, so no-one at court was too bothered or offended.
Through hard and diligent work the Queen was able to get the little prince to sit indefinitely, as long as she kept singing, signing and generally keeping his gaze and attention off the floor. All were impressed, and the next steps would be to work on transitioning from sitting back into lying on the belly and ultimately crawling.
Until then, the Prince's newfound ability to sit would come in handy for his next trick: eating solid food. The Queen started him off on sweet potatoes, which he ate eagerly and readily. This was in sharp contrast to Shark Boy, who had always been a very picky eater and refused a lot of food. "A Shark that doesn't like to eat... the castle must be under some kind of irony curse..." the King used to grumble.
The Lightning Kid continued meals while the King had many affairs of the kingdom to attend to. Days later he wanted to check up on how feedings had been going.
"He eats everything!" beamed the Queen.
"Really?! He likes everything you serve?" asked the King. The King, being only a man, was not the greatest listener, but the Queen was used to being patient. She patiently explained:
"I said he eats everything, not that he likes everything."
"So wait, what happens when you feed him something he doesn't like?"
"He makes a face, then eats it anyway"
And so the Lightning Kid grew bigger and stronger, ready to take on other adventures.
Sitting is very important when you're a monarch! You can't exactly lie down on the throne (though the King and Queen sometimes found themselves wishing they could try, as both children had given them more than a few sleepless nights). At first the Lightning Kid needed a lot of safeguarding so that he wouldn't throw himself backwards. As he progressed, he was able to sit on the throne, as long as there were many pillows surrounding him and propping him up. They were rather regal pillows, so no-one at court was too bothered or offended.
Through hard and diligent work the Queen was able to get the little prince to sit indefinitely, as long as she kept singing, signing and generally keeping his gaze and attention off the floor. All were impressed, and the next steps would be to work on transitioning from sitting back into lying on the belly and ultimately crawling.
Until then, the Prince's newfound ability to sit would come in handy for his next trick: eating solid food. The Queen started him off on sweet potatoes, which he ate eagerly and readily. This was in sharp contrast to Shark Boy, who had always been a very picky eater and refused a lot of food. "A Shark that doesn't like to eat... the castle must be under some kind of irony curse..." the King used to grumble.
The Lightning Kid continued meals while the King had many affairs of the kingdom to attend to. Days later he wanted to check up on how feedings had been going.
"He eats everything!" beamed the Queen.
"Really?! He likes everything you serve?" asked the King. The King, being only a man, was not the greatest listener, but the Queen was used to being patient. She patiently explained:
"I said he eats everything, not that he likes everything."
"So wait, what happens when you feed him something he doesn't like?"
"He makes a face, then eats it anyway"
And so the Lightning Kid grew bigger and stronger, ready to take on other adventures.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The Lightning Kid, The Fairy Godmother and the Handsome Devil Godfather
The Lightning Kid grew a little every day. People who went for more than a week between visits wouldn’t recognize him when they’d see him. Before they knew it, the King and Queen had to plan the official Reception of the Coronet that the Prince would wear upon his head (when he felt like it; Shark Boy rarely wore his).
This ceremony was generally regarded as officially the official announcement of a Royal heir, and would be the confirmation of the Lightning Kid’s status as a Prince. The King and Queen fulfilled their usual tasks: she organized the food and all the details of the ceremony, and the King tried not to think about it too much so that he wouldn’t become a nervous, insufferable control freak.
The difficulty arose when choosing the Lightning Kid’s Godparents. It didn’t take them too long to figure the Godmother should be a Fairy friend of the King’s, who had not only been like a sister to the King, but also very helpful in the early days of navigating the portents of doom that so many of the sages had predicted. She had even stood at the King’s side during the Royal Wedding. So it was only a logical next step to consider the Fairy’s counterpart on the Queen’s side of the wedding party... a fiend known as the Handsome Devil.
“Don’t you think it just makes sense?” asked the Queen.
“Sure... it’ s just...” stammered the King.
“I think he’d make a great Godfather.” continued the Queen.
“I just wonder if...”
“What? You don’t think he’ll be a good Godfather?”
“Of course I do! I just wonder how people will react to a Godfather who is also...
you know, a fiend!”
“That doesn’t mean anything - we’ll be inviting Elves and Trolls to this ceremony
too.”
“You’re right. The Handsome Devil is getting married this year, and I know he’ll be
a great father to his own children someday. He’s the perfect choice; I never
should have hesitated.”
And so the Lightning Kid was anointed while being held by his Fairy Godmother and Handsome Devil Godfather. Shark Boy was well behaved and sat still as befitted the solemnity of the occasion, much to the surprise of everyone. Later, with tears in their eyes, the King and Queen reflected that the day had contained a level of joy that had been absent on the day of the Lightning Kid’s birth. That alone, had made organizing the day worth it. And the Lightning Kid, did nothing but stare in wonderment at the Fairy Godmother, her daughters, the Handsome Devil and his fiancee, and wonder how he got so lucky to have made his family that much bigger and better.
Friday, April 13, 2012
The Lightning Kid and the Two-Headed Monster
By the time the Royal Family had managed to burst the bubble, they began to hear reports of a monster terrorizing nearby villages. The King felt bad having left his subjects unprotected so he rode out to investigate.
He interviewed villagers to find out more about the monster and how he might track it down. Some reported that the monster was actually quite beautiful, others seemed to find it horrid. All agreed that it was huge. As the King rode from village to village, and the sightings seemed to get more frequent and clustered closer together, he knew he was close.
Just outside one of the smaller villages, he entered a forest, and as he reached the first clearing, he saw it. It was a gigantic ogre... with two heads. While each head seemed to shift and change from moment to moment, he got an overwhelming sense of goodness from the left head, and nothing but fear and loathing from the right.
The King bravely stood firm and looked both heads in the eyes (one at a time of course!). The eyes of the left head shone through with all the joy, hope and pride that parents feel for their children. The eyes of the right head burned with despair, worry and fear of the future. The hope and joy were the ones he felt when the Lightning Kid was born, and the fear and despair were for all the doors that might be closed to him growing up.
Suddenly, the King wheeled his horse around, and rode back to the castle as fast as he could. Some thought he had run away as a coward, others mused he would fetch a magic sword or a spell. All were surprised to see him ride back out carrying the Lightning Kid in his lap and a scroll under his arm.
He didn't have to ride far out, as the monster had followed him towards the castle, and now stood in the central square of the nearest town. The King pulled the parchment scroll from under his arm, unrolled it and read aloud:
With this proclamation, the head on the right began to shrink. He King repeated the words until there was nothing more than a wart-like mound on the ogre's neck. What had been the left head now seemed very handsome and appealing indeed. In the days that followed the town-folk began to take kindly to the ogre and he found a place within their community, especially when heavy lifting needed to be done.
The King and the Lightning Kid returned to the castle. The King had to be vigilant for the rest of his days; when fear or despair began to rise, he knew the monster would rear its evil head; left unchecked, it could even eat the good head. And on days when he felt those feelings creeping up, he knew to pull out the scroll and read the Affirmation Proclamation and all would be well again. The Lightning Kid, for his part, made the words true with his actions... Every Day.
He interviewed villagers to find out more about the monster and how he might track it down. Some reported that the monster was actually quite beautiful, others seemed to find it horrid. All agreed that it was huge. As the King rode from village to village, and the sightings seemed to get more frequent and clustered closer together, he knew he was close.
Just outside one of the smaller villages, he entered a forest, and as he reached the first clearing, he saw it. It was a gigantic ogre... with two heads. While each head seemed to shift and change from moment to moment, he got an overwhelming sense of goodness from the left head, and nothing but fear and loathing from the right.
The King bravely stood firm and looked both heads in the eyes (one at a time of course!). The eyes of the left head shone through with all the joy, hope and pride that parents feel for their children. The eyes of the right head burned with despair, worry and fear of the future. The hope and joy were the ones he felt when the Lightning Kid was born, and the fear and despair were for all the doors that might be closed to him growing up.
Suddenly, the King wheeled his horse around, and rode back to the castle as fast as he could. Some thought he had run away as a coward, others mused he would fetch a magic sword or a spell. All were surprised to see him ride back out carrying the Lightning Kid in his lap and a scroll under his arm.
He didn't have to ride far out, as the monster had followed him towards the castle, and now stood in the central square of the nearest town. The King pulled the parchment scroll from under his arm, unrolled it and read aloud:
With this proclamation, the head on the right began to shrink. He King repeated the words until there was nothing more than a wart-like mound on the ogre's neck. What had been the left head now seemed very handsome and appealing indeed. In the days that followed the town-folk began to take kindly to the ogre and he found a place within their community, especially when heavy lifting needed to be done.
The King and the Lightning Kid returned to the castle. The King had to be vigilant for the rest of his days; when fear or despair began to rise, he knew the monster would rear its evil head; left unchecked, it could even eat the good head. And on days when he felt those feelings creeping up, he knew to pull out the scroll and read the Affirmation Proclamation and all would be well again. The Lightning Kid, for his part, made the words true with his actions... Every Day.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
The Lightning Kid and the Bubble
After the initial announcement of the Lightning Kid's birth, the royal family cleared the court of visiting lords and ladies, visiting dignitaries, sages, healers and wizards; everyone left the castle.
The initial sadness and shock of the Lightning Kid's condition began to fade. The royal family was able to take joy in simply being a family. The King and Queen loved each other just as much as they loved Shark Boy and the Lightning Kid, who were both healthy, beautiful and strong. Shark Boy welcomed the Lightning Kid with hugs and kisses, and the Lightning Kid slept well, and improved his ability to nurse. The world of the Royal Family seemed good and happy.
The days passed, and nobody was bothered to look outside. When they finally looked out the window, the King and Queen noticed something strange. A big bubble had formed around the palace and nothing would be able to travel in or out. The King and Queen were confused; obviously the bubble was a bad thing - goods would need to be brought into the castle and communication was impossible, and yet they'd been happy within this bubble.
The Queen said: "I'd dearly like to correspond with the other kingdoms... yet I'm afraid of what they'll say when they hear the news of the Lightning Kid."
The King said: "As am I. Being free of advisers, be they sage, healer, wizard, crone, oracle or troll has been a blessing hasn't it? We could simply stay in the bubble..."
"Yet ultimately we'll need some of those advisers. We have friends outside as well, can we really hide from them? Also, I don't think Shark Boy will enjoy simply swimming laps around the moat for much longer." answered the Queen. "I don't think I've seen anything like this..."
"I have..." answered the King. "When my father died, I found myself in a similar bubble... they come in handy to shield us from the initial pain, but ultimately we're not healing while we're inside. The only way to heal is to burst the bubble and learn to live with the outside world again..."
The King and Queen looked at each other in silent agreement. It took but a single bolt of lightning from the Prince to burst the bubble. The Royal Family went on excursions, corresponded with foreign lands and yes, had to visit sages, wizard and healers - some of which delivered bad news, some good. When they spoke with others including members of the court, some comments bothered the King and Queen; they found them insensitive, but they knew they weren't driven by malice, but perhaps by ignorance. When they took stock of it all, they noticed that people had been very wonderful and supportive overall. Still, they resolved
to fight ignorance in the kingdom by living their lives as the wonderful family they had always intended to be, and the Lightning Kid would lead by example.
The initial sadness and shock of the Lightning Kid's condition began to fade. The royal family was able to take joy in simply being a family. The King and Queen loved each other just as much as they loved Shark Boy and the Lightning Kid, who were both healthy, beautiful and strong. Shark Boy welcomed the Lightning Kid with hugs and kisses, and the Lightning Kid slept well, and improved his ability to nurse. The world of the Royal Family seemed good and happy.
The days passed, and nobody was bothered to look outside. When they finally looked out the window, the King and Queen noticed something strange. A big bubble had formed around the palace and nothing would be able to travel in or out. The King and Queen were confused; obviously the bubble was a bad thing - goods would need to be brought into the castle and communication was impossible, and yet they'd been happy within this bubble.
The Queen said: "I'd dearly like to correspond with the other kingdoms... yet I'm afraid of what they'll say when they hear the news of the Lightning Kid."
The King said: "As am I. Being free of advisers, be they sage, healer, wizard, crone, oracle or troll has been a blessing hasn't it? We could simply stay in the bubble..."
"Yet ultimately we'll need some of those advisers. We have friends outside as well, can we really hide from them? Also, I don't think Shark Boy will enjoy simply swimming laps around the moat for much longer." answered the Queen. "I don't think I've seen anything like this..."
"I have..." answered the King. "When my father died, I found myself in a similar bubble... they come in handy to shield us from the initial pain, but ultimately we're not healing while we're inside. The only way to heal is to burst the bubble and learn to live with the outside world again..."
The King and Queen looked at each other in silent agreement. It took but a single bolt of lightning from the Prince to burst the bubble. The Royal Family went on excursions, corresponded with foreign lands and yes, had to visit sages, wizard and healers - some of which delivered bad news, some good. When they spoke with others including members of the court, some comments bothered the King and Queen; they found them insensitive, but they knew they weren't driven by malice, but perhaps by ignorance. When they took stock of it all, they noticed that people had been very wonderful and supportive overall. Still, they resolved
to fight ignorance in the kingdom by living their lives as the wonderful family they had always intended to be, and the Lightning Kid would lead by example.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The Lightning Kid is Born
Once upon a time, there were a King and Queen who were wise and kind. They had a son who was magic, and he became known through the land as the Shark Boy, for he had many teeth, loved the water, and was always on the move.
When it became known that a second prince would be born to the Queen, it was widely held that this one would be as magical as the first. When the Prince was born, he seemed healthy at first, but when the sages, wizards and sorceresses said there was something wrong with him. The portents and prophecies said that he'd look different, and that there were things he wouldn't learn. The wet-nurses abandoned all hope of him nursing.
The King and Queen were heartbroken. They had thought the new prince might rule a kingdom of his own one day, and this dream seemed to have evaporated like a cloud-puff; and where was his magic?
The Queen took charge of the most immediate matters, she would get the prince nursing to be as healthy, hale and strong as possible no matter how many mountains needed to be moved. While she undertook this struggle, the King looked to the future with fear in his heart. He had known how he wanted to run the kingdom, but the prince's condition raised questions, and the answers given by the sages and their ilk were always about limits and doors that would remain closed.
The King was no sage, nor a healer, but he had seen much in his life and was famed and respected for the breadth of his knowledge; it was said he knew a lot of nothing, and a little of everything - and that this was his magic. He promised the little prince to give him the best life and future he could.
It was then that he noticed the little prince's hair. For a baby, the hair was fairly long, and yet it stood up no matter what kind of comb or brush attempted to tame it. It was then and there that the King and Queen found the new prince's magic; he had been born with too much lightning. They dubbed him the Lightning Kid, and proudly announced his title to the kingdom.
The Royal Family would occasionally struggle with the Lightning Kid's condition, but they continued to live and rule the kingdom as they were destined to, and the Lightning Kid's adventures would become legendary indeed.
When it became known that a second prince would be born to the Queen, it was widely held that this one would be as magical as the first. When the Prince was born, he seemed healthy at first, but when the sages, wizards and sorceresses said there was something wrong with him. The portents and prophecies said that he'd look different, and that there were things he wouldn't learn. The wet-nurses abandoned all hope of him nursing.
The King and Queen were heartbroken. They had thought the new prince might rule a kingdom of his own one day, and this dream seemed to have evaporated like a cloud-puff; and where was his magic?
The Queen took charge of the most immediate matters, she would get the prince nursing to be as healthy, hale and strong as possible no matter how many mountains needed to be moved. While she undertook this struggle, the King looked to the future with fear in his heart. He had known how he wanted to run the kingdom, but the prince's condition raised questions, and the answers given by the sages and their ilk were always about limits and doors that would remain closed.
The King was no sage, nor a healer, but he had seen much in his life and was famed and respected for the breadth of his knowledge; it was said he knew a lot of nothing, and a little of everything - and that this was his magic. He promised the little prince to give him the best life and future he could.
It was then that he noticed the little prince's hair. For a baby, the hair was fairly long, and yet it stood up no matter what kind of comb or brush attempted to tame it. It was then and there that the King and Queen found the new prince's magic; he had been born with too much lightning. They dubbed him the Lightning Kid, and proudly announced his title to the kingdom.
The Royal Family would occasionally struggle with the Lightning Kid's condition, but they continued to live and rule the kingdom as they were destined to, and the Lightning Kid's adventures would become legendary indeed.
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