Nine-Tailed Love Story

Sebastian

In the middle of the night, three pairs of little feet rushed down the staircase. Three children carefully made their way towards the massive mansion’s kitchen. Getting there was the hardest part, as the mansion was usually guarded by warriors whose hearing was five times better than any normal human.

The children: Shanaia, age seven, her brother Crane, age six, and their youngest brother, Seb, age four. Seb or Sebastian was born two years after Crane was born and has been the apple of his siblings’ eyes.

The three of them marched into the kitchen in search of food as they decided to go to the forest to watch the stars from the top of a hill and have a late-night picnic with their cousins.

“You two, grab whatever food you want from the pantry and fridge. I will get the basket.”

Shanaia told her brothers.

The two boys nodded their heads and made their way towards the pantry and fridge. While the boys are rummaging through the fridge and pantry, Shanaia went towards the back of the counter and grabbed the picnic basket.

Once she have it, her brothers started putting the food they grabbed into the basket. Once they are done putting the food, Shanaia told them to grab water bottles.

Crane grabbed the bottles and placed them in another bag he grabbed from under the counter.

“Now, we have everything we need to go,” Shanaia said and made her way towards the back door in the kitchen.

She was about to open the door when she felt a tug on her jacket. The three children just wore jackets over their pajamas. Shanaia turned around and saw her youngest brother, Seb, holding her jacket.

“What is it?”

“Seb scared,”

Seb spoke.

“What are you so scared of? We’ve gone over this,” Crane grumbled.

“Dino,”

Seb said, and then his siblings gave him a deadpan look before groaning.

“For the last time, Sebastian. Dinosaurs are long gone.” Shanaia told him.

“We shouldn't have let him watch that movie,” Crane mumbled.

Then Seb pouted as he looked at his siblings with his puppy eyes.

“Seb, there are no dinosaurs out there. Zari and Zander are already waiting for us, so we should go now,” Shanaia told him.

“Just hold my hand so you won't get lost,” Crane said, taking his brother’s hand.

Seb nodded his head and tightened his hold on his brother’s hand. Shanaia then opened the door, and the three of them made their way out. After they went out through the back door, Creon and Sahara stepped into the kitchen.

“Should we really just let them go out on their own?” Sahara asked.

“They are not entirely alone. The warriors will be following them and guarding them while keeping a distance. We are just letting them experience these kinds of things and let them be kids,” Creon told his wife.

Sahara let out a sigh of defeat.

“Fine. I hope nothing bad happens to them,” she said.

“Nothing will happen. Zari and Alex are also monitoring them since Zari and Zander will be going as well,” Creon told her, reassuring her.

Sahara let out another sigh.

Meanwhile, the children are already navigating the dark forest using their cartoon flashlights.

“Are you sure we are going in the right direction?” Shanaia asked her brother, Crane, who was leading them.

“I am sure. Dad took me to that hill before, so I know the way,” Crane told his siblings.

Shanaia and Seb followed him, but while they are walking, Seb was anxiously looking around. The forest looked like the forest in the dinosaur movie they watched and he is really getting scared that dinosaurs will jump on them any minute.

“I’m scared,” Seb spoke.

“What scares you?” Shanaia asked him.

Seb looked at his sister.

“Dinosaurs,” he said, pointing at the tree line.

Shanaia looked towards where her brother was pointing. She then noticed some movements behind the tree line, but she didn’t feel like they were in danger, so she ignored them.

“There are no dinosaurs here, Seb,” she told him.

“Yeah, sister is right. There are no dinosaurs here in Stone Castle. They are all in Isla Sorna and Isla Nublar,” Crane said.

“You sure?” Seb asked, still wary of his surroundings.

“I’m sure. Grandma wouldn’t let them get here. You know there is a protective line around the territory. No ugly beast can get in,” Crane said.

“He’s right, so don’t be scared.”

Shanaia told him.

Seb, even though he is still scared, nodded his head and chose to believe his siblings. Their reassuring words kept him from being anxious about dinosaurs.

Despite that, Seb still grew up with an immense fear of dinosaurs, especially velociraptors. When they went to a festival a few years later, the kids were now ten, nine, and seven. They unknowingly went inside a ride that has dinosaurs as an attraction.

Seb tried to exit the ride out of fear and, in the end, he passed out. That moment was used by his siblings to tease him. It annoyed Seb, but he could not do anything as he was indeed scared of a creature that had already been wiped out millions of years ago.

As they grow up, Seb tried not to be scared of dinosaurs anymore. He tried to be brave at the same time formed bonds with friends. He focused on his academics when he was in school. He may not be as smart as his older brother when it comes to science and everything, he then realized that he has an inclination towards arts.

In grade school, he would always excel in their art class, and he would participate in some art contents. He may not always win first place but he was happy just by seeing people appreciate his art.

His parents saw his love for the arts, so they gave him his own little room where he can do whatever kind of art he likes.

“This is mine to use?”

The eleven-year-old Seb asked his parents when they took him to the once empty room, but now filled with various art stuff, though it lacks proper pieces of furniture.

“Yes. Since you like painting, sculpting and other stuff, its better if you have your place to do it instead of your room where you make so much mess,” Sahara told him and Seb scratched the back of his head as he remembered how much mess he made in his room when he was working on his entry for the latest art contents.

“In this room, you can make a mess all you want. No other things can get messed up here, so use the room to your heart’s content,” Creon told his youngest son.

Seb looked at his parents and nodded his head.

“I will make use of everything you gave me,” she said.

Creon and Sahara smiled at their youngest son. Being the youngest and have at least two years age diffence from his siblings, he is always left behind since his siblings has their own group of friends and they have their own interests.

Shanaia found interest in healing and spent her free time in the infirmary to learn, Crane on the other hand developed his interest in potions, and other chemicals. They each followed a parent to hone their interests while Seb took a different path of arts.

“What’s this place?”

They turned towards the door and saw Shanaia and Crane coming in.

“This is my new art studio,” Seb told them proudly.

“So, you will paint here? Make sure you put a comfortable chair so you can rest properly while you do your art,” Shanaia asked, looking around.

Seb nodded.

“You have great lighting here, but make sure to put proper curtains so the sunlight won't spoil or destroy your art stuff,” Crane added, reminding his brother.

Seb smiled and nodded his head.

His siblings might like to tease him about his fear of dinosaurs, but they are very supportive of him and his interests.

“You know what you should do in this room?” Shanaia started as she walked into the middle of the room.

“You have to paint the walls, make the room in your image,” Shanaia told her youngest brother.

Seb gave her a confused look.

“Want me to paint my face on the wall?” he asked.

“Not that dummy. Design it like how you think would show your identity,” Shanaia said.

“I agree. Like what I did with my mini laboratory. I designed it with test tubes, beakers, and flasks,” Crane said, and then his siblings gave him a deadpan look.

“A laboratory is supposed to have those. Your lab doesn’t actually have an identity. It's generic,”

Shanaia told her brother, and Crane gawked at her.

“No, it's not. I arranged everything that will show my personality,” he reasoned.

“Yeah, a clean freak.”

As Shanaia and Crane argue, Seb watched them, and then he went to sit on the floor and grabbed his sketch book and pencil. Then he started sketching the design that he would do for his room’s wall.

Creon and Sahara watch their children with proud smiles on their faces. They are really happy that their children get along enough to argue and support each other at the same time.