AN: Just some free-writing I did while waiting to pick my sister up from her job-orientation.
Once upon a time, in a kingdom not far from our own, lived a source of evil so vile and wretched that it turned even the air around it into a putrid fume. In the presence of such evil nothing pure could live; flowers wilted, grass withered, streambeds ran dry, and trees shriveled in death. Those things that did manage to survive became tainted, twisted mockeries of what they once were. Wraiths wandered the land and cries of anguish and sorrow could be heard echoing on the wind. A once great kingdom was brought to ruination by this single entity alone.
The surrounding kingdoms began to fear for their safety and so they sent their greatest champions to fight the evil. One by one the champions fell to darkness and the neighboring kingdoms began to lose hope and despaired. And so the evil grew and spread.
For many years this pattern continued, and the growth of the darkness was exponential and unchecked until finally the blackness reached the very boarders of the sea itself. There, sitting alone on a crop of rocks by the water, stood a small wooden shack. As the tendrils of evil made their way towards it the door opened revealing a small child with sunshine gold hair clutching a worn and well loved toy to his chest.
The child looked and saw the creature of darkness approach but he did not recoil as many brave men had done in the past. Rather, he looked into the creatures eyes and held it's gaze for many long moments, as though he was peering into it's very soul.
At long last the child smiled at the creature and opened the door wider, inviting it to come in. Cautious and curious the creature entered and seated itself at a small table as the boy pulled food from a low cupboard and then set it before him.
"You must be hungry and tired," said the child, "Please eat."
"Why?" asked the creature, "Why do you treat me with kindness when I bring nothing but death and darkness to this place?"
"You will not bring those things here." the boy responded.
"I shall," said the creature, "for I am a being of evil."
"No," replied the boy, "You are not evil, you are simply alone."
"I am a monster." the creature argued.
"You are no more a monster than I," said the boy, "lonliness simply makes us forget our better natures. But I shall be your friend now, and I shall help you leave the darkness and find the light."
The creature sat in silence for a long minute before he nodded and extended his hand to the boy.
"Teach me," it said, "teach me about your light."
And for that night and all that followed the sound of laughter rang from the small shack. And anyone who chanced by could see two boys playing through the windows, one with hair of sunshine gold and the other with locks of fire red, and neither was alone anymore.