I saw the long roads ahead,
The Regalia’s pristine dashboard,
Glorious landscapes unlike anything near Insomnia,
Content, satisfied smiles on gourmet-stuffed faces,
Faces…
One… regal, meek, like that of his father’s,
troubled with a duty no boy should bear, but bear he must.
Another… so freckled and pure, split by a silly grin,
ready to rouse spirits with yet another flippant quip.
Then… one scarred and fearsome, yet stoic and benevolent,
of which a mere glance could set my stress at ease, if only for a moment.
Photographs of a brotherhood, often overexposed.
A brotherhood, mine to safeguard and keep watch, crystal clear…
A brotherhood fit for a king.
Night soon fell.
I could see none but myself:
My helplessness, my frustration,
My pathetic plight, my despair.
I heard.
I heard the soft sniffles of a broken boy who supposed all were asleep,
seeking the solace of night to release his stifled anguish.
The slight faltering in our young humorist’s voice as he delivers another punchline,
struggling desperately to keep reality’s unwelcome grasp at bay.
The foolish bickering and snapping fueled by misplaced anger,
Quarreling over an undesirable pity that would only drag me back...
Back to my inner pain.
For I could see none but myself:
My regret…
My failure.
Pain, despair… roaming like daemons for years under the night sky of my mind.
The faint warmth of companionship feebly fending them off,
Like the crackling embers of this campfire.
But there is a stronger light now.
It envelops the pain and despair,
Not a light I see, but a light within.
Reigniting the fire in my soul;
For I needn’t sight to hear these words,
The bravest words of my best friend,
My brother,
My king.
Words eloquent only to my very heart, crystal clear:
“You guys… are the best.”