Days And Nights (Book of Life and Maya and the Three One Shots)

Bedtime Story

Maya and Zatz tuck in their children with a story of their lives.

Maya slowly walked into Dawn and Dusk's room with a smirk on her face. She had been playing with her children, chasing them around the temple before they hid in their room.

"Hello." Maya called out into the bright, colorful bedroom. She pretended to not hear her kids' obvious giggling.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." She looked behind some furniture whenever she heard her kids shushing each other as they laughed. 

"Where are my little stars? The little eagle warrior princess will show no mercy when she finds you!" 

She turned around to the sound of scraping. She saw a large blanket with two large lumps pushing a small chest out of its path before moving forward. 

Maya silently snickered as she rolled her eyes at her children's antics. 

Maya pulled the blanket off, revealing Dawn and Dusk, "Aha! I've got you, now!"

Dawn and Dusk tried to run away, but they weren't fast enough to escape from their mother's grasp as she started to tickle them.

"No escape!" Maya planted kisses on her kids as they all started to laugh.

Zatz had returned from raising the moon and walked into the room when he heard laughing, "Did I miss anything?"

"Papa!" Dawn and Dusk ran to their father to give him a hug.

"Hello, niños." Zatz said, hugging them back, "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

"Yes, it is." Maya said as she walked over to them and picked up Dawn, "Come on, kids. Time for bed."

Zatz picked up Dusk and carried him to his small bed which was right next to his sister's.

"Can we get a story?" Dusk asked as he was tucked in.

"Only if you both promise to go straight to bed." Zatz said.

"We promise." Dawn chirped from her bed.

"Ok, then." Maya said.

Zatz and Maya sat on the edge of each bed, knowing exactly what story to tell.

"Centuries ago," Maya started, "There was a mighty eagle warrior princess."

"Just like you." Dusk said. 

"Just like your mother." Zatz smiled, "She was courageous, loyal, and beautiful, even though she was a bit stubborn and reckless."

Maya smirked at her husband's comments, "Anyway, on her 15th birthday, her kingdom was visited by the honorable, skilled, mysterious, handsome prince of bats."

Zatz smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Like Papa." Dawn said.

"Exactly." Zatz said, "He told her that her life wasn't what she thought and that a great monster was coming for her, who was going to use her to destroy the world."

Dawn and Dusk gasped as their eyes grew wide, hiding behind their blankets. 

Maya and Zatz did their best to hold back certain elements of their story. They would tell their kids everything when they were old enough to understand. 

"To defeat the monster, the little eagle needed help from three special people; a rooster wizard, a skull archer, and a puma warrior."

"What were they like?" Dusk asked.

"Well, the rooster wizard was very selfless and powerful, maybe a little insecure. But he was able to learn to be confident." Maya said.

"He was also kind of a jinx at just the right time." Zatz said.