The Mythical Mornings

The warmth left behind

In the forest where spring was always dancing,where fairies danced and sang,where flowers bloomed forever,they lived.

On the swing of time they played. As wind carried them forward,and left them back. As they laughed along wind,as it caressed thier hair,entangled in love.

The innocence of their love,it was everywhere. There was no question,no answer. Just love.

But something happened. He was growing silent. There was a look of sadness in his eyes as he looked at her. As if he was experiencing something. What,she did not know. How long time passed,he did know.

He was always lost somewhere. Soon he smiled. And handed her a bell.

"What would I do with this noisy thing?"she asked in wonder.

"I donot know. I just wanted to give you something"he said as they sat together.

They had gone out few days back. He had seen her euphoric joy,as she laughed along with children. As she ran around the market. He had looked at her lost.

They had watched a play. The boy gave the girl a gift. Small but sincere. So he just felt like giving her it..

But the bell lied somewhere in the corner of the room,when she left,the night she left. With a promise to come back. But she did not know,she was going to hate him.

Step by step he walked through the world,searching for her. He was just a child. With the bell in his hand,he walked. He showed it to many. Hoping somewhere she was. But it was badly carved. All he got was laughter..

Then he met them. In the small kingdom. They looked at it curious. Looking at his cold face,they were curious. Why was he looking like that? His two coloured eyes,his hair that seemed to glow with a hue unknown. His voice seemed to be an echo. His words carried vibrations far deeper and denser than anything.

So he became the toy of them. They pulled him inside the magical world. He lied as they experienced things on him. From his eyes to his hair,everything was gone.

Someone stood,feeding him drops of water,some medicines as he lied on the bed. But as soon as she watched them approach,her face changed. Her eyes shifted,from gentle to cruel. Her words changed.

Finally a day came,when nothing worked anymore. They ordered him to be thrown away. And in her hands he left the bell.

The broken piece of bell.

And left. He lied,alone,how long. He never knew. But things shifted. His eyes were gone. But he could see. His skin was torn but he could feel. How? He had never wondered before. But now he wondered. Who he was.

He got up. And picked up a piece of dark wood. Carved it into a mask. Hiding his face. He walked out.

Then the world never saw him. They saw what he wanted them to see. Worlds after worlds he left. His steps,his journey. Search for himself.

After a very long time he returned. To the place where he had been born.

But there was something else happening. He saw her again. The one who had given him light in the darkest hour.

Fate had changed. His little sweetheart had become the Empress of the world. And her first Target was them. He did not care much about the rest. But her. Still,they had to suffer for the things they had done.

Crushing their magic crystals,he took them away. All of them.

Hiding his face behind another,he did his work. But they behaved as if he was a criminal. Who had kidnapped them. A sinner. From throwing tantrums to spoiling his home. They did all that. He just watched.

His eyes just looked at that one person. Who did things with them. But somewhere there was hesitation. Somewhere there was worry.

He would leave for days,not coming back. Soon,they started to talk of love. He smiled. Heart,easy to fool,but easy to break. He knew what they wanted. To kill him? May be.

Still he went along. Played along. The game of push and pull. How they did things. Of course he knew. He was not an innocent child now. He had grown up. He had seen far more than them.

Finally,it broke. He opened the gate. They left.

All that was left was the warmth of that one person behind,who despite all the plots and ploys,smiled. Would play hide and seek with the child him.. would run around freely. As if a forest elf..