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The Toy Soldier was alone again. The rest of the crew were off doing their own things and the Soldier was left on its own. It didn’t particularly enjoy being alone, but it didn’t think that it had much of a choice in the matter.
It laid down on the grass, staring up at the bright ball of gas in the sky. It felt itself heat up as it laid there, being baked by the sun.
It didn’t know how long it laid there. Long enough for the grass to grow around it and for the sun to rise and set more times than it kept count of. It just remained still, smiling all the while as it waited for its friends to return to collect it.
In all that time, it didn’t grow bored. There were so many things to pay attention to, even while laying completely still.
There were birds that flew overhead, there were ants that crawled along the dirt, and there was wind that blew through the trees and grass. The Toy Soldier could stay put and watch everything for years if it came to that. Maybe it did. It wasn’t sure.
One day, something came flying by and landed directly on top of the Toy Soldier’s nose. It could feel its little legs crawl over its face as the Soldier tried to focus on what the creature was.
It soon recognized the creature as a butterfly.
Butterflies were such beautiful things. They came in all sorts of colors and the Toy Soldier wished it had an outfit that resembled a butterfly. A butterfly dress would be absolutely stylish!
The Soldier watched the butterfly as it crawled over its face, remaining very still. The insect didn’t fly off for a good while, just exploring the Toy Soldier’s face.
Eventually, it did fly off, taking off through the sky and leaving the Soldier behind.
To its surprise, the same butterfly returned the next day. It landed once again on the Toy Soldier’s face and walked around. The Soldier enjoyed watching it.
The butterfly returned again and again, day after day. The Toy Soldier began to think of it as a friend. A friend who returned to it over and over again.
“You Are A Friend!” It declared one day, moving as little as possible as it spoke. “You Are My Best Friend!” It watched the bug still, almost as though it had paused to listen to it speak. “My Other Friends Are Not Here At The Moment, But That Is Okay Because I Have You!”
The butterfly walked to rest on the Soldier’s chin.
“You Are Very Beautiful!” It informed the butterfly. “I Wish That I Had An Outfit That Looked Like You! I Should Make One!”
The butterfly flew off. The Toy Soldier didn’t mind, though, as it knew it would be back.
When the butterfly returned, the Soldier told it all about its other friends. About Jonny and Ashes and Tim and Brian and Ivy and Nastya and Aurora. It even told it about Carmilla.
One day, the butterfly was nowhere to be found. The Toy Soldier waited for it, but it never came. It laid very still, hoping that its friend would return, but it did not.
Days passed with no sign of the little creature.
Eventually, the Toy Soldier rose, shaking off the dirt and plants that had attached themselves to it. It went out in search of its little friend, but found nothing.
After a bit of searching, it did find a small creature on a branch. A caterpillar.
The Toy Soldier took a seat next to it, watching it.
“You Are A Caterpillar!” It announced. “Caterpillars Become Butterflies! I Had A Friend Who Was A Butterfly!” It watched the creature move around. “Maybe You Can Be My New Friend!”
So it watched the little bug move and grow, watched as it created a cocoon around itself. And when it emerged, a butterfly came out. A butterfly exactly like the one the Toy Soldier had befriended not all that long ago.
The butterfly flew out and landed on the Soldier’s nose.
They were both happy to have a friend.