Ravendarus
Kokoro
My name is Kokoro, it means 'Heart or Spirit'; I was born into the world, and I lived there with my mother and father. At birth I was beautiful Light Collector at birth and everyone thought I was pretty. I remember when I was younger; my father would put me on his lap and put a flower on my ear. I remember he told me, “One day my heart, you will be old enough to have a shop of your own.” he said. He always said that, My Father always told me I was his heart, his spirit. My mother and father are scientists who study the aurora borealis, I think that was the reason they named me Kokoro because of what it means to them.
I loved them very much, even though they would go to the arctic for a few months and then return to me for even shorter. I was sad whenever they left but each time they came home they'd give me new flowers to grow in my garden. Growing up I always wanted to be a florist, though my real dream was to be a researcher like my parents. However they often said, "That job is far to dangerous for one so pretty, stay here and tend to your garden, when we return we want to see what you have done." I would never argue with their words, but I could never help but worry for them.
“Now remember my dear, we will not be gone for to long this time, we shall return before your birthday.” My mother cooed softly, she patted my head and smiled gently, “We love you very much, and we promise to return my my heart, my spirit.” My father said to me, I smiled, “I love you both as well” I said gently, “I will see you when you come home” I said, and that was that. I could not imagine then, how much I would miss being called his light.
I was expecting a call from my mother as she usually did, awaiting in my garden tending to my beloved orchids; who had their own shaded spot. "The secret." I said softly to my pet cat named Nathaniel, "Is to not move the orchids, they simply hate to be moved, if they aren't moved, and your water them with ice cubes, you will have beautiful flowers in no time." I chuckled gently. Nathan opened one eye and meowed lazily before rolling over. "I know, but remember it's a secret." I chuckled softly petting his head as I walked towards the house.
"How odd… mother has yet to call." I said worriedly, though I shook my head, perhaps it was a busy day, I would wait for her. I went about my day and barely noticed the time fly by. The next thing I knew, I had gone a few days without hearing from her. Worriedly I tried to call her but to no avail. “Mother isn’t answering.” I gasped, in a rush I packed as swiftly as I could. It was not like mother to just not call, what if something had happened.
Then I remembered what they told me, to never follow because of how dangerous it was, and yet I could not just leave them there. To the artic I left on the biggest journey of my life, unaware of what really happened…
It had taken a few days to get there by plane and then I had to take sled dogs out, it was the hardest trip I ever had to make, but I believed I could find them. I ended up being guided by a local all the way to my parents study camp. I was greeted by a friend of theirs, their co-worker actually. “You must be Kokoro…” he said to me quietly a solemn tone in his voice. He casted me a rueful smile, I then knew something was wrong. “W-What happened?” I asked sparsely to him, he flinched upon me asking and sighed, and then he spoke quietly;
"Your family that you have followed,
Broke through the ice and were swallowed,
Though they loved you very much,
Your heart may hurt to touch,
Never the less they will be with you,
Forever by your side too."
I could not help but cry, my parents were gone forever, I would never get to say goodbye to them. "But alas." Their co-worker said, he handed me a box and I looked up with a tear stained face. "They left this for you, incase anything should have happened to them." He said to me softly. I cried looking down, shakily I opened the box. Inside was a flower, so beautiful and pure, it matched my markings perfectly. I picked it up carefully and put it in my ear, just like my father did when I was little. I noticed a letter underneath where it had been kept.
“My dearest heart, I know we promised to return, however if you are reading this letter then something happened to us. We want you to know we love you so very much and to ensure we shall never break a promise to you again, we promise we will love you until that flower does wilt, we will never forget you Kokoro, my heart, may your dreams come true, and never give up. – Love Mother and Father.” I said softly. I cried more after reading that and reached up to touch the flower, it was a fake and could never wilt; they would love me forever, as I would love them.
"I love you mother, father I shall never forget you."
In the land of cold, surrounded by ice and sea, all that was left was my flower and me.
