Thirteen Years in One Hundred Steps: Theme 48 – Childhood

So quickly pushed away that to the three, it never existed. Or maybe they turned away from it too early, and that could be why they never acknowledged the existence of their childhood.

Where did it go? They had no clue.

Where did those times -- when running around the forests was the best pastime -- go? They had no idea.

Where did those times -- when the annual harvest festival was the best holiday -- go? They had no idea.

Where did those times -- when gifts were given every single day -- go? They had no idea.

Childhood had all disappeared. To where? When? Why?

They had no idea.

All the times when dreams were not far out of reach. Where did they go? All the times when Little General masqueraded as eventual Master General. Where did they go? All the times when Little General threw her foster father’s cloak around her shoulders, pretending to command her units. Where did they go? All the times when Little General fought for her dear friends. Where did they go?

All the times when magic was fun. Where did they go? All the times when Little Sage sang songs to himself. Where did they go? All the times when Little Sage found himself buried under a mountain of tomes and scrolls, crying for help. Where did they go? All the times when Little Sage protected his Little General with a profuse blush in his cheeks as he stammered his love for her. Where did they go?

All the times when the black oak tree was home. Where did they go? All the times when Little Prince heard the voice of the forest. Where did they go? All the times when Little Prince basked in Nature’s light with Little General and Little Sage by his side. Where did they go? All the times when Little Prince wandered the stars with Little General. Where did they go?

All of the times and moments they had loved and cherished. Where did they go?

Their love, their dreams, their hopes, everything they had based their lives upon. Where did they go?

Little Sage wants it all back. Every moment he can, he prays for light, crying silently within his heart. Will Little Prince come back? Little Sage can see the past in his every dream, in his every thought. Will they ever come true again?

Those were the days when Little General laughed and smiled all the time, any time, every single day.

Those were the days when Little Prince had actually been a bit impudent, fighting with Little Sage over Little General.

Those were the days when Little Sage told Little General every single day that he loved her, always declaring to marry when they got older.

Those days were gone. Those childish, innocent days were all gone. Where did they go?

Little General smiled no more.

Little Prince dreamed no more.

Little Sage loved no more.

All those things they did in childhood…Where did they go?

Those times when Little General willingly kissed her sage’s and prince’s cheeks. A soft little child’s kiss. So soft it felt like the light touch of a falling cherry blossom brushing by. Little Prince and Little Sage gave Little General the same treatment – none of the three ever minded.

Where did those times go?

When Little Sage had found the meadows beyond the forests, he had invited Little Prince and Little General to see the view. But they did not just see. They lived it, running through the wild fields together, bathing in the warm sunlight, dancing within the tall grasses. It had been a peaceful meadow, the song upon the breeze filled with the laughter of the three children.

Now that field was barren, burned and soiled by fire and blood. The song upon the breeze was a screaming requiem, one that chilled one’s bones and changed blood to scarlet ice. Peace was now carnage, the warm sunlight cold with the night of the dead moon replacing it.

Where was that field?

No one had any idea.

No more wandering the stars.

No more walking the moon.

No more dreaming.

No more hope.

No more love.

Just pain.

Just anger.

Just sorrow.

Just hatred.

Just pain.

Where were those three children? Those children who were always together no matter the consequences? Those children whose innocence dominated their daily lives? Those children who shared and loved together, believing in one another? Where were they?

They used to love. They were children.

They used to pretend. They were children.

They never considered reality. They were children.

They had no idea what would happen.

They were children.

Childhood; where did it go?

Little Prince, pushed into the light, lost everything he had ever loved. Where did his childhood go? It all disappeared, he thought, it all disappeared when Little Sage and Little General pushed him into the light.

Little General, killing for the first time, stopped loving all and everything. Where did her childhood go? It all disappeared, she thought, it all disappeared when she saw Little Prince cry for the first time.

Little Sage, chained down by words of darkness, tore apart his dreams. Where did his childhood go? It all disappeared, he thought, it all disappeared when he felt his own blood seeping from his own being.

Why did they stop believing? Why did they stop caring? Why did they not look to one another anymore? Why did they throw down the virtues of their childhood? All the love, dreams, and beliefs they had accumulated from their childhood…Why did they throw them down?

Little Prince saw the death of his father before his very eyes. A terrible thing, the voice of darkness.

Little General sliced through flesh and let blood collect on her sword. A terrible thing, the voice of darkness.

Little Sage watched the spirits of his dear friends fade away to nothing. A terrible thing, the voice of darkness.

Such darkness used to only be in nightmares. Only in nightmares, because they were always in light, blessed by beautiful light. They were children: light was always with them. But now…childhood was gone, light was suffocated by darkness.

Childhood is nothing.

Where did it go?

Did it ever exist?

A chance to learn love – they had it, but where did it go? They knew love no more.

A chance to be with one another – they had it, but where did it go? They did not have one another any more.

A chance to be children – they had it, but where did it go? They were children no more.

Innocence has died. Little Prince had to let it go.

Words mean nothing. Little Sage had to let them go.

Fairy tales are taboo. Little General had to let them go.

All the virtues of childhood, everything they had loved was all dead. They existed no more. Where did childhood go? None of the three had any idea.

When tears were valid before, when tears explained everything, back in those childhood days, tears and crying were normal. But now, they had no tears to cry. No anguish to scream. Nothing to explain anything within. This was not childhood. Where did it go? Where did their tears go?

No more grassy trail to show the way. That trail was painted with blood.

No more voice of light to encourage them onward. Light had died a long time ago.

No more childhood to look back to. The past seemed to have disappeared.

Carnage lights the way. Darkness shrouds everything.

Time seemed forever when they were children. But they were children no more, and Time seemed to have stopped everything. Night was eternal; shadow defined everything. Nothing existed in light; all dwelled in shadow.

Why? Why did it happen? Why did Time make for this to happen? Why?

Children are inquisitive, asking about everything. Yet childhood had died – the three only asked why. Why had this happened? Where were the answers? No one knew.

Childhood had died. The times when together was everything – gone. The times when fighting meant friendliness, or even love – gone. The times when swords were for pastime and magic was for show – gone. Everything about childhood – gone.

This is reality. They know this fact.

They think it a terrible fact of life, but they have no choice but to bear through. This is reality.

Now, together could be betrayal. They could trust no one. Fighting was war and hatred. Friendliness or love did not exist. Swords were for killing and magic was for decimation. Pastime, there was none, and show could not trusted. Childhood never had these kinds of meanings. What happened?

A kiss could mean anything now, even if it was just a simple kiss.

Friends could betray one another and be rewarded for it.

Darkness seeped into everything. It plagued the past and twisted the present. Childhood had died, its innocence unable to rival the sheer magnitude of darkness. Death is now common, killing is advised. Childhood never had that kind of shadow.

Where did it go?

All the love, all the happiness, all the virtues of life, everything from childhood had died. Where did it go?

It’s not worth trying to find this thing they have lost, but still that same question keeps haunting them.

Where did they go?

Where did those times go?

Where did the blood come from?

Where did the darkness come from?

Where did childhood go?

Where?

No more laughing. No more crying. No more Little Prince. No more Little Sage. No more Little General. They’re not children anymore.

Just Marth, exiled from his own home.

Just Mark, chained down by words of darkness.

Just Aliana, muted by darkness spawning in her heart.

The children had died.

Childhood is no more.