⋅•⋅⊰∙∘ ˚𝄢ᡣ𐭩 ⋅ One Summer's Day ⋅ 𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋♬ ∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
by Joe Hisaishi
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Down deep in the depths of the Misty Hollow, where the faeries frolicked and the animals played, an unsettling grief was lying down in the dark; a mourning thing. Farther back, past the waterfalls and in the quarters of foxes, their burrow began to shake as a rumbling took place deep in the soil. The ground rose and split to reveal my form, rolling fog dancing beneath my crossed legs. Shifting my weight forward, I made my way past the scampering sprites and dancing moths, entering a small grotto. Where there should have been fauna recovering from unfair injuries, there was nothing. Not a peep, not a sound. Concerned at this empty space, I brought myself closer where a tall and mighty mushroom rose against the walls, a small wooden door locking away anguish from the outside world. My elderly hand reached up to wave over the lock, where it clicked. The knob turned itself and opened, allowing me to enter the dark home where not even a candlelight illuminated the space. As I removed myself from my cloud and drifted further in by foot, light from the ajar door shined on a small figure resting on their bed, their face in their pillow. Yet soon they began to stir awake.
When they saw me, the boy's tail curled inward. He quietly turned his focus away from me and turned his back to me with a roll of his frame. "Not even a greeting for me, dear Pilgrim?" I asked. No answer, of course. ".. I see." I looked forward. "It's a shame, then." I began to speak bluntly. "She was a fine tutor, and cultural leader. Her absence is greatly affecting the forests as we speak." My words only sought to act as daggers into his back, causing the spirit to sink further into his sheets. "You have failed quite a lot lately. Your deal with Kroza, letting yourself be manipulated by draoi, and now a Mani has been unleashed upon the world. Moreover, there's a possibility you are to blame for it. You were there, after all. You cannot hide things from me." My voice caused him to tremble now, his tears starting to dampen his pillow. "Your powers are tied to your emotions. You could have defeated him then, when he came for you. Or even after the fact, whilst he was torturing you."
"Something stopped you. You did not raise a hand upon him. You fai-"
A resounding crack struck the walls and caused them split apart, like something was attempting to break out from them. I looked down towards the source, who was now sitting up and staring at me with his glowing crimson eyes; a demon's eyes. Finally, his grief had moved to anger. ".. We cannot change the past, Great Sage." I said, speaking calmly to him despite this. "Nor can we make up for it, most of the time. But are you going to sit here and sulk forever? There is much to be done." A call to action was clearly not what he needed, as his gaze weakened and he quickly lost sight of his malice as soon as he had it, falling limp onto the bed once again. Seeing this, I let out a hollow sigh and reached into my vest, where I removed a letter. The sound of tearing open the sealed parchment made him open an eye, quietly lifting his head in curiosity. "Do not think your existence is a flawed, dear Pilgrim. She did not think your life was a sin--her leaving us does not make that any less true." My words, and the sight of the letter unfolding caused his body to jolt awake. He was looking at it with desperation now, as if it was a way to seek-..
"An answer?"
I interrupted my thoughts, gazing down at him. "This." I lightly smacked him on the head with the paper. "It is material. Just a paper. It cannot guide you. Only you can do that for yourself, and others." Nevertheless, it was clear by his dulling expression that he needed to hear her last words to him regardless; he needed to be told what to do.
So I began to read.
‿̩͙‿ ༺ 𝄞⨾𐭩༘⋆ ⋅ The Coming of Spring ⋅ 𐙚。♬⨾⋆.˚ ༻ ‿̩͙‿
by Joe Hisaishi
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"You are a good Druid, Chaosheng, despite your lack of gifts. You may even be a better druid than most other attuned."
The door to his home swung open, the light from within tearing away at the darkness within the cave. There a troupe of animals awaiting him, hopping, gliding, or running alongside him as he sped down the grotto and leapt past the waterfall and landed onto the bridge, making a great splash.
"I know that they can be mean to you sometimes, and ungrateful of all you do for us. But I see what you do, and I am thankful for it."
I watched from the great tree that towered over the Hollow above as the boy began to climb up a nearby tree. There, on a branch, two squirrels were arguing over the same walnut. With his tail, our Great Sage knocked the seed out of their hands and caught it with his own, splitting it in half and offering a piece to each one. Laughing at the sight of them quickly feasting, he began to climb up the tree and hooked his arm around the thinning trunk, gazing off into the distance. Choosing a random direction by way of the wind, he leapt away and took the form of a falcon, where I watched him soar off into the distance.
"I hope you stay with the druids still, for I know they will need you in the days to come. Thank you for everything, Chaosheng."
When he reached the fields, I watched him shift back into his former self, running downhill so fast that he kicked up a stream of dust behind him. What was he thinking there as he outran the animals that followed after him, now that grief had left him?
"I will never forget you."