One of Santiago's fondest and most cherished memories of his previous life growing up in Arizona with his foster mother was one particular night, when he'd been unceremoniously shaken awake by an awful nightmare that had really spooked and rattled him to his very core. The young chupacabra sat there in bed for a solid several minutes, gripping his bedsheets tightly as he tried to process all of what had happened up until this point. Whatever horrific, awful monster or figment it had been that had invaded his dreams and had startled him into waking up, the exact image of it had faded away like a puff of smoke in the wind and he couldn't recall any clear details of it. But the impressions of sheer fear and anxiety it had left on him was enough of a sign that it had been truly terrible to witness, and that despite being very drowsy he didn't want to try to fall back asleep out of worry that the frightful visage would set upon him again the very moment he closed his eyes.

Unable to find the will to try to go back to bed on his own, the little chupcabra did the one thing he could think of doing in that very moment amid the panic and unease that crowded every other thought in his childish mind. So without further hesitation, he leapt out from underneath his covers and hastily scampered out of his room towards the one where his foster mother slept, knowing that it was the only other place in the house that he could find safety and comfort in at this time of night. Navigating as quickly as his little feet could carry him through the dimly lit hallways, the nightlights set up along the walls acting as his guiding path, he soon arrived at the closed door leading into his foster mother's room. Much to his relief, the faint golden light pouring out from underneath the doorway was a surefire sign she was still awake...

Sitting on her bed with the lamp on the nearby nightstand still lit to be able to see properly, Reina Montez was preoccupied with reading a book she'd picked up from the local library a couple days prior before getting ready for bed herself. As she made to turn over to a new page in anticipation of seeing what would happen next in the rather engaging story she was in the middle of, her ears perked up at a sudden sound that tickled her still quite keen senses. The muted noise of little feet pattering on the carpet as they came from down the hallway, muffled and distant but audible in the otherwise still silence of the house during this time of night. Though such minor disturbances weren't unusual, since she knew Santiago would get up every so often to run to the bathroom or to the kitchen for a glass of water when he needed to before going right back to bed. However, when she heard the stifled footsteps suddenly stop right in front of her door and go no further from there, that immediately got her attention as a sign that something was wrong. Slipping the bookmark in between the pages to save her place and setting the book aside for later, Reina focused all of her attention on the entrance to her room as her motherly instincts went on high alert in an instant.

"Santiago...? What is it, mi hijo?" she called out softly to the boy, the sound of his name prompting the child to push open the door slowly until it swung ajar wide enough to show him standing there out in the now dimly lit hall. And gods... the sight of the young chupacabra with his faintly gleaming silver eyes blown wide in abject terror, hands fidgeting about, the heels of his feet nervously tapping on the carpet and his tail swishing about behind him at a rapid, distressed rhythm was enough to break the old wolf's heart in two...

Face falling into a concerned yet gentle smile and without saying another word, she beckoned him to come in and opened her arms wide in a wordless invitation. Not needing any further prompting, of course, Santiago hardly waited to take as he dashed into her room and threw himself into the hug in an instant. For a good several minutes they just sat there on the bed, the old woman humming softly as she held her son close in a warm, comforting embrace, lightly running her fingers through the messy, unkempt mane of his hair to help calm him down as he was quivering and quaking all the while.

"Oh mijo... What's gotten you so shaken up this late?" she asked once his shivers had eased up somewhat, tenderly scratching him behind his ears which she knew he really liked most of all, "Are you having trouble sleeping tonight? ...Or did you perhaps have a nightmare?"

Santiago didn't answer or look at her for a few moments at first, but as soon as the word 'nightmare' was mentioned he glanced up timidly to meet the old woman's dark brown eyes and gave the tiniest nod of affirmation. So small that it could've been easily missed if she hadn't been keeping her undivided attention squarely on him the whole time. Ah... This same scenario was all too familiar now. Having raised a good many of her own children throughout her life so far, Reina Montez had had plenty of experience when it came to young ones having difficulties sleeping or being scared awake by sudden and unexpected bad dreams in the middle of the night. And of course, like any good mother who was no stranger to the numerous ordeals of raising many children, she knew exactly what to do in a situation just like this.

"Here, mijo, you can stay with mamá tonight if it'll help you feel better," she offered with a kind smile, pulling back the covers enough for him to crawl under and tucking him in as he got himself nice and cozy under the heavy fleece blanket, "Thankfully, I happen to know how to cast a special kind of magic spell meant just for this occasion. One that I believe for sure will chase off those nasty terrores nocturnos, and keep them away for good so you can rest easy tonight."

"You do?" Santiago asked in a small, quiet voice as he hugged one of the pillows close like a mock teddy bear, the lighthearted bit of playfulness in the old woman's tone as she spoke of knowing 'magic' and the antics of her exaggerated gestures as she grinned and waggled her fingers to mime casting a 'spell' getting him to finally crack a little smile. "...Can you show me, mamá?"

"But of course, mijo~ Just relax and get good and comfortable, all you need to do for now is to listen closely, okay?"

Leaning over the young chupacabra as he lay there next to her in bed, her arms wrapped around him gently yet protectively, the old wolf woman gave a soft, reassuring smile to him. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, as it had been so long ago since she'd last done anything like this, she let her eyes slide closed briefly as she opened her mouth and began to sing a hushed, mellow little song for him as she'd done for all of her children before. Her voice was clearly not the same as it used to be so long ago, worn down and weathered over the years from age, lack of consistent practice, and perhaps a bit from her old diehard habits of smoking and drinking when she was younger and riding that high from being a formerly famous singer alongside her now late husband. Even so, it was still warm, soothing, rich, and melodic as she sang the pleasant words of an old Spanish lullaby, one that she'd been taught ages ago by her own mother from back when she had been a young girl herself.

"Duérmete, mi niño,
duérmete, mi amor~
Duérmete, pedazo,
de mi corazón..."

The young chupacabra, feeling safe and snug under the covers and cradled in the arms of his foster mother, could already feel his heavy eyelids starting to fall closed as the lulling, dreamy resonance of the old woman's voice and the calming words of her song tickled his ears. All the while, he could feel a light, delicate touch at his back as her hand rubbed slow, pacifying circles between his shoulders, the other hand softly caressing him under the chin as a thumb gingerly stroked along the fur of his cheek. Underneath the loving ministrations of his foster mother and her placating lullaby as the drowsiness finally caught up to him, eventually he let his eyes finally slide closed, too tired to keep them open any longer and allowing himself to drift off into a peaceful sleep at last. One where instead of running away from frightening creatures with huge claws, fiercely glowing eyes, and enormous, gaping mouths sporting far too many teeth to count, he would find himself floating out in the serene expanse of the night sky, painting little pictures there among the stars, and exploring the vastness of the great universe beyond as far his own childish thoughts could imagine it...

Even as Santiago's eyes finally slipped closed Reina continued on with her singing, gradually softening her voice as to not disturb him up until she could hear his breathing evening out and noticed his tightened grip on the pillow slowly growing more slack. A sign that he had surely fallen well and truly asleep, and that he likely wouldn't wake up again until morning would finally arrive. Heaving a deep sigh of relief, the old wolf gave a fond smile as she looked upon the snoozing child, giving him a few loving pats and planting a sweet kiss upon his forehead while she held him there in her arms for just a little bit longer.

"Sueña bien esta noche, mi dulce niño..."

---

A super sweet and absolutely lovely sketch illustration piece of my precious chupacabra baby Santiago, showing a memory from his childhood as he reminisces on all of the sweet and deeply cherished moments with his foster mother! Speaking of which, this is the first time that she's ever been shown with a definite design and name as well! My good friend and I decided to go with making her a wolf, and I just really love how beautifully this design for her came out! The curly hair, the bits of jewelry that she's wearing, and the gorgeous and colorful Mexican ethnic clothing, they did such a great job making her look like a kind and sweet old woman just as she should be! Tempting as it is to make a separate reference sheet for Reina, to be honest the only appearances that she'll really make for the most part is in little memory flashback scenes on moments from Santiago's childhood and his old life prior to her passing. But I do hope to be able to get more art like this that features these two together, for sure!
That aside, I just really love the composition and the vibes from this piece... The way the old wolf looks at her adopted son with such care and love in her eyes and expression as she cradles him in her arms, the peaceful-looking expression on young Santiago's face as he's sleeping and more at ease, it really reminds me so much of my own grandmother on my mom's side and how she always does her best to look after us as kids and even when we're all grown up... And the beautiful color palette of blue, purple, white and starry patterns of the background, how dream-like it feels in the way it swirls around them and the hazy, blurred effects at the edges and where it blends with the foreground, just absolutely wonderful all around~ <333

Also as a quick side note, the Spanish lullaby referenced in the story is called 'Duérmete mi niño', and the title of this piece is taken from the song of the same name, 'Rises the Moon' by Liana Flores, which served as the primary inspiration for the idea behind it~

This super lovely and wonderful art piece is courtesy of my dear good friend and regular collaborator for all kinds of awesome things  Gatewayeee! As always, you just continue to inspire and amaze me with your works, and even now it's still crazy to see just how far you've come, how much you've really honed and developed your skills, and how your art has really evolved from earlier this year when I commissioned you for the very first time. You've honestly made such extraordinary progress, and in a way I feel glad to have had at least some small part in that... God, I'm just so damn proud of you, and as always it's just such a pleasure and a joy to have the opportunity to work with you, sharing ideas for characters and scenarios and helping to really breathe life into them and make them feel real and believable. I'd be more than happy to continue working with you at least a hundred times, and you always have my support no matter what! Always wishing you the best with your future endeavors, and keep up the awesome work in the meantime, sunshine~ <333
And hey, if you're not already watching Gateway, then you should probably get on that! Give them a watch, fave the original post of this art over in their gallery and other works of theirs if you like what you see, and please do consider shooting them a commission as well or taking any of their YCHs that they have available and up for grabs! Not only are they an awesome and talented artist, but they're just a great person to be able to work with and they'll always make sure that your art comes out just as you'd like it! Honestly can't recommend them enough if you're looking for great quality art at reasonable prices, and if you buy a commission from them, that money will go towards helping them save up to attend college and hopefully even move to another country as well! Even if you don't have the money to be able to buy anything, I encourage you all to give Gateway the support and love they deserve by at least following them on their page! ^^

Links to Gateway's commission info with prices as well as their currently ongoing holiday themed YCH will be provided below! Definitely do check them out if you'd like to get ahold of some really nice art as a gift for yourself or for a friend this season!

Gatewayeee's Commission Info and Prices: https://gatewayeecmminfo.carrd.co/

Gatewayeee's Holiday Multislot YCH: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50068186/

Santiago Ortega Montez and Reina Lovato Montez are © to me

Reina Lovato Montez's Design is © to  Gatewayeee