Chapter Text
Before the light came, the world was filled with darkness. It was so dark that all the creatures could not even see each other, nor even know their own likeness. During the world before the light, there was only fear.
But then the god, The Light, filled with love for the creatures living in the darkness, decided to help. He took a part of himself and hung it high in the sky, a ball so bright that it would remove the darkness from where it shone. Realizing that only half of the world was given light by the mighty ball, he broke it into two parts: the greater one, with its brighter glow, would fill the earth with much warmth and prosperity, while the lesser one, with its lesser glow, would give the earth respite and calmness.
And so the earth and all its creatures became happy after the light.
"Skip to the part of the One-for-All." A young boy pouted, bored.
A sigh. "I was getting there, you brat."
But The Light's gift was not appreciated by everyone. His brother, only known as The Man, for-
"His name shall never be spoken, unless one shall want to invite the darkness in." The young boy interrupted, parroting the next lines of the story. It was met with both a click of a tongue and a soft giggle, respectively. The source of the giggle unconsciously leaned towards the young boy, but eyes remained steadfast to their storyteller.
"Ungrateful brat," admonished the older woman, ire slowly building.
"Father tells it better." Responded the child in question, bold and challenging orbs straight into identical ones.
"Well," she breathes out, "he's on a run, so you're unfortunately stuck with me. If you want me to finish quicker, then shut up." Reasoned the mother. The child grumbled under his breath and sunk deeper into his fur linings and blankets.
The Man hated the light, and wished for the darkness to return. So he took small patches of the dark, when both the Greater Light and the Lesser Light would not shine, and tempted creatures. He tempted them with their cruelest desires, and thus evil spread into the world. These corrupted creatures, who chose the evil darkness instead of the good of the light, became known as the Ghouls. With The Man's power, named "One-for-All", the Ghouls were given the ability to create new life from darkness.
Creatures were abducted from the light and taken into the darkness. They were tortured and forcibly changed, bodies broken. Their light was replaced with the dark, their minds lost in the shadows. The corrupted became known as the Nomu, mindless creatures that know only to serve the Ghouls and The Man.
Light and darkness soon clashed, and the world was placed into chaos once more. The Light gathered the creatures loyal to the light, and named them his people. He gave his people different powers and abilities, and led them to work together to fight against the darkness.
However, the battle was long and deadly. Many of the creatures of the light lost their lives in the battle. In a last effort to win the war against The Man, The Light passed his tremendous powers to one chosen creature. This creature had the most noblest of hearts among all the created, and the strongest of all. He was able to take on The Light's powers, becoming the first Successor. The Successor was able to push back the dark forces of The Man to bring light once more into the world.
Peace once more reigned in the world. The great god, weary from the battle that had transpired, went to a deep and long sleep in a place in-between the two lights in the sky, to recover his strength. He left the mortal realm in the capable hands of his Successor and the rest of his people.
The Successor chose to rally all the creatures of the light together. He called on the dragons, the vampires, all the sprites and spirits, the atlases, the phoenixes, and the humans. He swore to protect them and all the people of the light. He named his people, the Children of Lupa, and they became servants for all the people of the light. All of these creatures swore loyalty and fealty to one another, always to protect and to nurture all the people of the light, regardless of race.
"What happened to the humans?" A gentle whisper came from a small body swaddled in think linen and blankets. The older woman smiled fondly at the bright eyes that sparkled under candlelight.
The humans, striving to have find their own way, chose to be separate from the rest of the people of the light. As time passed by, they lost their ability given by The Light and their ability to see and connect with the rest of the people of the light. They dispersed as a people, forming groups that traveled to different places of the world, forgetting their true lineage and purpose.
This has been the peace for thousands of years. Per generation, The Successor passes on their gifts and abilities to the next, ensuring that each generation of the people of light is always protected by the powers gifted by The Light.
The older woman finished the little tale of their collected people, of their history. She looked over the two pups covered in layers of think fur, linen, and blankets, and resting their bodies against the softest of feather pillows. Winter has settled itself into the forest, the nights in particular can be cruel to children such as them. Three summers, she thinks as she glazes her eyes over them, is still a delicate age to the harshness of winter cold.
"Finally." Her son, Katsuki, a boy of strong body and spirit, exhaled a long breath. A spitting image of her, both in likeness and attitude, but in his quiet times, shows semblances of her mate Masaru. He released a yawn coming deep from his belly, eyes slowly succumbing to the temptations of sleep. Keep on tempting him then, Mitsuki slightly frowns in her mind.
As her pup slowly curls into himself and the soft bedding, the other pup speaks. "Will you tell us about the story of the seasons next time?"
Izuku's question came in the form of a gentle breath, eyes shining. The iridescent hues of green from his eyes is even made more striking against the orange flickers of candle flame. Mitsuki has always regarded these orbs as brighter than his mother's, as if always searching for more.
Mitsuki gives him a fond almost smile: too exhausted to fully twist her lips upwards into a real smile, but the affection still evident. Izuku is, after all, like her second son; sometimes she half-heartedly wishes he was her son instead of the gremlin she carried in her womb for nine months. "Sure sweetie, maybe I'll even ask Inko to tell you more about the lore of the dragons." Izuku's countenance brightens even more, hopeful and expectant. "But for now, rest. The night is long."
"Will mom come back tomorrow?" A shy question, muffled by the covers he had sunk into.
"I hope so, my sweet." She answers truthfully. Inko has been away for a few days to help in delivering a pup in the neighboring pack. She had left Izuku under the care of her oldest friend until she returned. "If the winter chills will be tame tonight, then perhaps she could arrive by tomorrow midday."
"Okay," came the tired reply, "thank you Auntie."
"Quit yapping," came an irate rumble, "I wanna sleep."
Izuku sweetly giggles, trying to press himself closer to Katsuki, the closest he can go without the other pushing him away. "Sorry, Kacchan. Let's sleep now." Katsuki only grunted, finding a suitable position to sleep in.
Mitsuki rises from her wooden chair, floors creaking under her weight. The two children are grasping at the last straws of consciousness, the warmth of their shared bedding lulling them to sweet sleep. Heads slightly turned towards each other, their movements slowing. Once she was sure that both boys were asleep, she leans forward to them, giving each a light kiss on their foreheads, Katsuki first then Izuku.
"Goodnight you two, may the Mother and Father protect you till you wake." Mitsuki blows the candle fire out, leaving only few strands of moonlight to illuminate the room. She soon left the children, closing the door as carefully as possible, leaving the place in a hush.
She will wait until her mate returns in the middle of the night from his night's watch before she herself could sleep, resting in his arms. It was her turn as the little spoon.
Izuku, manages to fend off sleep for a few moments after. He uses these precious seconds to glance at his best friend. Though almost everyone in his pack has regarded Katsuki as bright as the sun, the evening glow makes him breathtakingly beautiful in the green pup's eyes. Izuku wonders if there is anyone else in this world that is as pretty as Kacchan.
He doubts it wholeheartedly.
Katsuki is only a pinky finger away from him now, he does often move in his sleep. Izuku notices how his cheeks are squished against the pillows, eyes shut. His mouth is slightly ajar, chest rising and deflating at a slow rhythm. Izuku is happy, he rarely gets to sleep over Auntie Mitsuki's place, much less get to sleep beside his best friend.
Yet a pup of three summers can only wriggle against sleep for so long. When his eyelids start to flutter shut, he exhales, "night-night, Kacchan. Sweet dreams."
They sleep peacefully that night.