A Place to Rejuvenate
Napoleon finds his partner reflexing on the life they live. In answer to the picture challenge of 9/4 on Live Journal.
The affair had been completed successfully but then went from bad to worse. A group of young victims were found dead when Thrush had decided to silence anyone with knowledge of what they had been doing. The two agents were disturbed by the useless waste of life. After they had reported to Waverly, Illya had left UNCLE headquarters telling his partner he needed a place to think.
Napoleon had given his friend time to deal with the situation in his way, but when he didn't answer his communicator became concern and went searching for him. There were few places the Russian would go to reflect on what they might have done differently and as he reached the last one, he hoped to find Illya there.
He located him resting on one of grassy areas of the rock garden. They sat not speaking until after a long time of silence, he said.
"Illya, we could have done nothing."
"I know that my friend, but we are expected to safe guard the innocent."
"We both know we can't always."
Napoleon looked around the garden. The perfection of it seemed to conflict with the evil they had just witnessed.
"Is it peace you find here?" Napoleon asked.
"I find this spot reminds me of the life we live. Each element of the garden is symbolic of the world we protect. The rocks represent the mountains we must overcome in our lives, the problems our enemies throw in our paths. But on the other hand, it is also our firm beliefs and commitments that we use when fighting their evil."
"The perfection of the lines in the sand represents the water or the flow of our life. Always moving, connected but never straight. Our fight is continuous never ending. So constant even if a footprint interrupts the pattern it can be quickly repaired one hopes with no permanent damage."
Napoleon looked around the island of moss they sat on, "And this grass?"
"It is moss, and it represents the island or resting places of our life. The places where we can catch our breath and think about what comes next. It is our connection to nature and its tranquility."
Illya shrugged his shoulders, "That is what I see when I look out over this setting."
"I always knew you were a deep thinker my friend, but I guess you still have many surprises for me."
Napoleon offered him a hand up, "Come on, I'll buy you lunch."
"Japanese?" he asked smiling.
As the two left, Illya looked back once more and felt some of the pain of their last encounter lift. Once more, the garden had offered his soul, if he truly had one against his government's orders, a place to rejuvenate.