Chapter Text
Once upon a time, in a little garden a golden flower did sleep. By her side waited a Goat, patiently watching over the little flower. The other plants of the garden watched suspiciously, whispering to one another.
“Surely he will eat the little flower.” The tulip whispered to the daffodil. “You can never trust goats.”
The daffodil scoffed. “Good riddance I say. She’s hardly a flower, dandelions are weeds!”
But even as the spring turned to summer, the summer to fall, and the fall to winter, the Goat never left the little flowers side. As the snow fell, covering the garden and smothering the whispering voices, the Goat protected the little flower with its fur.
One day a Sheep arrived to the garden, looking for a place to rest. “You can not rest here.” The Goat told the Sheep. “You should be with your flock, where they might protect you from wolves.”
“I seem to have gotten lost,” the Sheep explained. “And I cannot find my way back.”
The Goat gave the Sheep a blackened key. “Then use this to find a place to rest where none may find you. But you mustn't stay here.” The Sheep thanked the Goat for his gift, before passing along five gifts of his own. A red scarf, knitted from the Sheep’s own wool. A pair of collars, one black with a sparkling pink star embedded in it and the other checkerboarded. Two ribbons, one of sky blue and the other of rich orange.
“Please take these gifts that once belonged to me and the members of my flock, so that you might remember us one day.” And before the Goat could say a word the Sheep was gone.
And so the Goat continued to watch the flower, keeping the gifts he had received close by. A few years later a Raven came to rest, it’s feathers a deep black. “If you’ve come to rest I must ask you to leave.” The Goat told the Raven. “You should fly back and join the rest of your family.”
The Raven shook his head. “I’ve only come to rest, as I have a long journey ahead of me. Would that be alright?” The Goat allowed him, and together they talked until day became night and then day again. When morning broke, the Raven thanked the Goat for listening to his words. From his back he pulled a beautiful red feather, placing it next to the Goat. “A gift, for humouring an old crow like me.” And then the Raven flew off.
Many years passed, and the Goat grew old and weary. Still, he could not abandon the flower. One day, a young goat wandered into the garden, lost and alone.
The Goat became young again.
Finally one day someone new wandered into the garden. A little Dog, who limped towards the Goat before lying down. His fur was gold and soft.
“Little Dog, you musn’t rest here.” Said the Goat. “Go home, to your pack.”
The little Dog whimpered. “I don’t remember who my pack is. I don’t remember much of anything. I think I’ve lost something, I think it was taken from me.”
“You will not find it here little Dog. Nothing lies here but the flowers.” The Goat said. But the little Dog’s eyes laid upon the gifts piled by the Goats side.
“I think that’s mine. I think that belongs to me.” The little Dog said, picking the checkerboarded collar up. The Goat agreed to let the little Dog have it, on the condition he carried on his way. The little Dog nodded, before limping away.
The Goat could have sworn he saw another dog watching from afar.
His next visitor followed closely after. The gates to the garden swung open, and men in white coats placed a Cat inside the garden. The Cat was wrapped in white bandages. “Cat, you can not stay here. Many of the flowers in this garden would be poisonous to you, you should go somewhere safer.”
“I can not leave.” Said the Cat. “I can not ever leave. They keep me here from night and day, I know nowhere else.”
“You can not stay here.” Said the Goat, his voice firm. “If you stay here you will surely die. You must leave.”
And so the goat for the first time ever left his place guarding the golden flower, opening the gate back up for the Cat. As she left, he gave her the remaining collar. “The stars will guide you home.” He told her.
Then he returned to his spot.
His final visitors of the day came as the sun gave way to the moon. A blue Lizard came to the garden, a sleep Rose resting upon its back.
“Is that Rose from this garden? Has he become lost?” The Goat asked the Lizard.
“Yes,” the Lizard said. “But he doesn’t remember ever being lost.”
“The Rose may stay but you must leave, Lizard. Your poison will infect the flowers.” The Goat told her, stamping its hoof down. The Lizard hissed at him.
“I won’t leave his side and you can’t make me. If you try then I’ll just poison you.” She warned. The Goat was too tired to try to force her to leave, and finally gave in. He knew well by now that all other flowers in the garden had long since died off, and there was plenty of space for others to rest. And so he tied a ribbon to both the Lizard and the Rose, to signify that they would be welcome in the garden always.
One day, after the Rose had awoken, he asked the Goat what it was he was waiting for. The Goat paused to think, realizing in all of his waiting he’d forgotten what exactly it was he waited for. And as he looked down at the little golden flower he barked a laugh.
“Oh what a fool I am!” He cried. “I’ve sent away the very people I was waiting for!” The Sheep, the Raven, the little Dog and the Cat, how could he forget his waited for guests? “Oh I can only hope that they might return one day!”
“But why protect this flower?” The Lizard asked him.
“Because,” the Goat laughed. “When all my guests arrive it’ll be finally time for her to wake up. Oh what a party we will have.”
Brain closed the book with a smile. He was absolutely terrible at writing children’s stories, he knew that much. It wasn’t as if he had much experience, the stories his daughter wished to hear were always rooted in truth and reality, stories of a life he’d already lived. Still, with this done he could truly say it was over.
It was over. It was time to go.
Slowly he got up from his chair, tucking the book under his arm. He took his coat and his hat and nothing more. He walked down to the shores of Scala, deep in thought, losing himself to the sight of crashing waves and the scent of salt water. It was early in the morning, early enough that the streets were empty.
Almost empty, as by his boat waited a figure. Not one that Brain hadn’t been expecting, because he’d asked the other to meet him there in the first place.
“It’s done.” Brain said. “After all these years it’s finally done.”
The figure laughed from beneath their hood. “I never thought you’d actually finish it. Thought you’d keep putting it off forever so you’d have more time here.”
“Can’t keep doing that forever. I’m almost thirty you know, I’m definitely not getting any younger.” Brain complained.
“Unlike me.” The figure joked. Brain scowled.
“Keep that stuff to yourself, the less I know about your whole plan the better. Can’t see why you have to take the long way around.” He said, as he grabbed the oars resting against the pier. He had little experience rowing, not overly fond of water, but he wouldn’t have far to go.
“Someone needs to stay here and keep an eye on things.” His friend said simply.
“Yeah, well,” Brain shoved the book into the hands of the other. “Keep an eye on her okay. I trust that one day she’ll make a great leader but she’s going to need all the help she can get.”
The figure took the book from him carefully. “Of course. It’s in both of our best interests that Scala continues to flourish.” They stepped back as Brain stepped forward, seating himself into the boat. He paused, watching the sun truly rise over the horizon, the water glittering like jewels. Then he turned to face Scala, taking in its brilliant white and golds.
“I’ll never see this sight again.” He said, and there was no regret in his voice, just satisfaction and finality.
The figure watched with him. “I’ll see it every day. I’ll watch every morning and every night, this kingdom you’ve created. I’ll watch its highs and I’ll watch its fall, and I will never look away, no matter how long it takes.”
“For him?” Brain asked.
“For you,” the figure answered. “For all of you, who lost what could have been. So that someday I’ll have many more stories to tell you and your friends.”
Brain smiled, and finally began to row. “You never did tell me your name, you stubborn fool. How will I know it’s you?”
The only sound was the waves, and for a moment Brain wondered if his friend would never reveal that particular secret, even now. Then finally, a voice cut through the quiet.
“Luxu. It’s Luxu.”
Brain smirked, raising his hand to give a half hearted wave. “Well then Luxu, I’ll see you soon!”
Luxu smiled as the boat sailed away. “And I will see you, my friend, a great many years from now.”
Perhaps in a new body, with a new face and a new personality, but his heart would be the same, as would there’s. No amount of separation could truly keep them apart, not forever. He didn’t even need a gazing eye to know that for sure.