Monochromatic

Chapter 4

He was happy, and that's all she wanted. Azoria did her best to care for the toddler she adopted. She took him everywhere; made his clothes; fed him well; and taught him everything she knew. From the day she claimed him as her new little brother, Azoria made it her mission to give him a chance. She saw something in him that she wanted to be, his eyes were so vibrant and full of color. With every passing day, Azoria became more and more aware of how colorless her world was, and how little she knew about happiness and other emotions. For now, Azoria needed to adapt to her new persona, playful; calm; optimistic; loving; protective.

No one came for the boy, and she knew no one ever would. He was now officially her little brother, but the boy couldn't remain nameless for long. Azoria put off naming her brother for about a month before thinking of a proper name. The day was calm, Azoria was relaxing in a tree near the quiet stream the little boy was playing in. The words unspoken would only become lost in the softness of the wind. Azoria admired the small child, he was always so calm without a care in the world. So happy, so innocent, why couldn't she feel the same? It didn't make sense to her, yet nothing ever did. Azoria jumped down from her branch, sitting down beside the boy before holding him to her person.

"I should give you a name, shouldn't I?" Azoria uttered in almost a whisper.

The toddler held his innocent gaze at the girl. He smiled for a moment, only to wonder off. Azoria followed soon after, catching the small child holding a butterfly on his nose.

"You're indeed a free spirit. May I call you Freedom, little one?"

The butterfly flew away and the boy only smiled.

"Freedom it is."

Four years later, Azoria taught him everything she thought he needed to know at the time. At last, Azoria decided to introduce Freedom, the beauty of the world beyond that small forest. One cool early morning Azoria woke Freedom up from his deep slumber. As Freedom rubbed his eyes, Azoria presented him with a large breakfast for him to eat, then began eating the breakfast she cooked for herself. Freedom ate as silently as he lived. Azoria has never witnessed him speaking a word ever since they met, and never expected to hear him do so for a long time. Once they both finished, Azoria led her little brother through the moonlit forest for his first lesson.

"Never be afraid of the dark Freedom, it is your friend. The darkness can protect you as long as you treat it and its children with respect. You, my little brother, are now an official child of the night. When in need of comforting, you may count on the night sky's beauty to remember that not all things are bad. I want you to make a promise I promised someone else some time ago, always see the beauty in everything."

Azoria spoke to the little boy walking beside her as the little boy listened closely to her words.

"When the day comes, the world will appear as vibrant and colorful as your eyes. Cherish that feeling you'll experience as you see the lively within the forest and beyond. There are some things that you'll only be able to see during the day, so remember to be grateful to the sun for sharing its warmth and light with us. For without the sun, the world will be a cold and lonely place. From this day on, you're officially a child of the day."

Azoria stopped at the very top of a hill. Down below, was a great plain of land sleeping underneath the soft sky above. Freedom looked up at his elder sister confused, a soft wind blew through his hair. All that was heard was the soft sounds of the tall grasses dancing in the wind before Azoria spoke again.

"However, if you are patient enough to be still and watch, you'll see something beautiful occur. When day meets night, when night meets day, a new sky appears. Many animals don't simply live to survive, but they live to see this amazing sight. It gives them meaning, it's the real reason why they fight to live for so long, the main thing they all have in common. I know, because the animals told me."