Deter my nation

Chapter 3 ~ Petals of gold

The flower petals danced in the light breeze that filtered through the underground, lifting my hair to play and spin around. It was as if each individual strand had befriended the wind, and longed for more time to spend in it's embrace, the streams of murky smoke rising from afar, mixing with the golden air and rising into my lungs. 

"Are you okay?" As asked, looking at me with bright eyes filled with worry, his white tuffs shifting and shining, a majestic example of a prince, even though he was but a child. To me, he was already a king, sitting atop a thrown of yellow flowers, ruling over the Underground and brining joy to all the monsters in which looked up to him, and even those who failed to. 

Such a fragile boy, so kind hearted - too kind hearted - to be in such a cruel world. But as long as he was a king (even if just to me), then surely, the world would be less cruel. Just slightly. 

Snapping out of my daze, I hastily responded, putting on a wide smile so broad my cheeks rose to cover my eyes. 

"Yeah," I began, my voice fainter than I would have liked, dropping like my eyes to the floor as my mind began to whirl with a thousand ideas at once, a tranquil chaos inside my head. "Just...thinking." I heard As shuffle uncomfortably, as if he didn't know what to say. Bringing my gaze back up towards him, I saw his solemn face staring right back at me. 

"'Bout what?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. His soft ears slumped to the side, rocking back and forth for the movement. For a moment, my eyes lingered on the mesmerising image presented before me.

"Just - things." 

"What kind of things?"

"The flowers." I said, crouching down. I could almost feel his confusion radiating through his skin and fur.

"Why? What's so special about the flowers?" As the young boy spoke, I gently ran my fingers over some of the petals nestled on the soft ground, their light golden surfaces a smooth sensation of nostalgia. 

"Because," Standing up, I held out a few of them infront of his face, resting in my palm. "I remember. I remember laying in a field of sunlight and these gorgeous beings." His eyes seemed to light up, amazed at the beauty, as if he had never seen them before. I guessed he had just never thought much of them. Sometimes, when there is so much of something, it becomes less special. "I remember watching, silently as they danced in front of my face, guiding me through the village, the forests, lakes and grasslands, meadows and canyons, mountains..." My vision began to drift beyond the boy, remembering the fall, how they led me through the most treacherous land, and showed me the one thing I always wanted. A family who loved me. It was as if they had heard my wishes, and amongst themselves decided to help me. "Underground..." My last word was barely audible, so faint, taken by a whisp of the wind. 

I noticed him tilt his head a little more, so I simply smiled. Bringing my attention back to him, I lent in closer, and then, when I was mere inches from his face, let out a big breath. 

Petals flew all over him, forcing the boy to lean back yelling in alarm. All I could do was laugh, as he danced with the golden petals.