Behind those blue and red eyes

The first encounter: Chrysanthemums

Lavender got up from the ground "Are you alright" he asked Thistle "Yeah, I think so" he answered. His head was spinning in confusion, his legs barely held him. He took the chrysanthemum's flower crown from the ground; it was shattered in pieces with its petals brown from the bruises. Something inside him broke. For once there were trouble in Nature Tale. He has always known that the day could come; when the dark forces that lived in the multiverse put their hands in this pocket full of life.

Thistle seemed even more troubled, shouting obscenities to the air as his only copping mechanism left. He was worried for this friend of him that was almost like a second brother. Lavender knew this day would come, but Thistle was always waiting for it, almost obsessively searching for a menacing everywhere. So now that the moment had come, that a monster tried to hurt not one, but two of his brothers, he could only wait for an even worst outcome.

He felt sorry for Thistle, he had come such a long way just to trust in other people, he had work so hard to not be on guard every second, to relax and sleep under tree's leaves. Now it would take longer than before to calm him. Lavender only could think of all the nightmares that Thistle would have, all the fear he would hide to not look like a weak monster. He wished that that were only a nightmare, but it wasn't.

The chrysanthemums smelled like chlorophyll, and he could feel the life draining from them. With a movement in his hands, he forced magic into the flowers and the flower crown disappeared in a breeze of seeds and leaves. Those were going to rebuild in a new life, as everything should do; in the perfect cycle of nature.

Poppy came worried, Rose behind him with her spear in hand, "WHAT HAPPENED LAVENDER, IS EVERYONE SAFE?" he asked out of breath "That fuking weardo from before" said Thistle "He was here after Lavender. I scared the shit out of him. So not expect that bastard anymore" he continued to ramble. "He was actually very brave" Lavender said with a tiny laugh, "He just saved me".

He shook the grass from his coat as shaking the fear out of himself. "Thanks bro" he said to Thistle with his words full of genuineness. But even then, the uneasy felling could not be taken away from him. "Let's go home, I promised to clean after the party" he said walking calmly towards Thistle home.

The party was dismissed soon after another toast in name of the bravery of Thistle. And soon Lavender found himself in the comforting routine of making deashes and sweeping the floor. Everything was coming back to normality, or so he though "Lav, dud" called Thistle "Yeah, bro?", a paused filled the place with uncertainty, "Don't ever dare to come close to strangers like that anymore" He looked serious as he said that. "I don't know if your blind or whatever, but I don't want any more 'good guy' plays anymore"

Lavender took a moment to reflect, then looked Thistle in the eyes "I'm not a kid you know?" Thistle seemed furious "I just want to give everyone the opportunity...They deserved" Thistle opened his mouth a moment in confusion "Are you even hearing what you say? A fuking psycho comes and I tell you to NOT come near him and you decide to do just the opposite of that! Just hear me, for ONCE Lavender"

Another pause filled the room "I know, I'm sorry, I just had to be sure...he seemed so scared and desperate, I...I'm sorry" Thistle looked at him with a mix of confusion and disgust "Just not do that bullshit again" "Understood"

Lavender leaved the house with the fake promise of going straight to his home. He took a detour to a quiet path in the woods. The sound of the crickets filled the air like the twinkle of a million stars, the air was fresh and cold; the forest ignored the disturbing scene that toke place just a moment ago. As always nature flowed forward.

In every steep Lavender tried to release his mind of everything, in every little steep he left his soul engraved in the mud. The leaves formed beautiful curtains that seemed to rain from all above over him; the silhouettes of the big trees twist and curl in formidable shapes and the air was fresh and clean. A sharp sound pierced the still air; probably one of the nocturnal birds were close by, sitting in the dark waiting for their next meal.

He felt a little bit better, like one just after a shower; ready to star anew. A bat flied with their big open wings close by like a shadow, and startled the thoughtful Lavender. He laughed slowly. He really wasn't himself that night. He let a hand take the flower crown in his head now crooked because of his little jump.

He looked one by one the many flowers in it, he even tried to count them as one counts sheep before to sleep. He said out loud "One, two..." He took seat in a big tree root, he extended his feet and continued the count "Twelve, thirteen, fourteen..." He controlled his breathing in big and firm inhalations and exhalations, and freed his mind of every thought.

Such was life a constant, always going forward, no matter what happened in his little life. There was no need for answers, just the need to connect with others and with nature. Soon he closed his eyes and felt a bean of joy inside him, a pure energy that came deep within; a felling he wanted to give the whole world. The felling grew up from inside him until it was all over his body filling everything with a satisfactory happiness, then it was not longer inside him but all around him and soon all over the forest and even beyond Nature Tale.

He opened his eyes slowly, felling way better. He stood up and stretched his arms putting his flower crown in his head again, adjusting it so it looked just fine. He shacked the dust in his clothing and with a deep breath prepared himself for the walk back to his home. The forest looked just like before; the same quiet sounds, the same dark look, the same fresh smell; nothing changed.

He walked back, with the same answers than before, but so much calmer. He will figure it later; he'll just have to let the time flow as is own. He felt better but rather sleepy, yes, maybe the correct path was to sleep it over. He had started to feel sleepy, and could not wait to be asleep in his bed.

Suddenly a raindrop touched his mouth, and then another and another, till all he could see was lines and reflections. He raised his hand and teleported directly in his room; it was enough for one day. And then he went to sleep.