Three figures sat atop a grassy hill at the edge of the town of Kalm. Below them, the crowded streets were brightly lit by colorful laterns strung from house to house overhead. The three figures were hidden in shadow and went unnoticed by the villagers. Invisible observers.
A cool wind blew up from the town and caused the three's silver hair to dance around them.
The youngest one brushed some stray hair away from his eyes absent mindely, his gaze focuesed intently on the scene below.
The three were resting before another long journey to the next town. Their search of this one was completed.
After an hour or so of quiet observation, something interesting happened.
What is going on? The youngest one, Kadaj, pointed to the scene.
At the edge of the party, near to their hill, a small crowd began to gather around a table, drawing attention to themselves by shouting for others to come near.
It appeared that at the center of the circle, was a young human child. She had her hair tied up in ribbons and was dancing around, causing a general scene like human children tended often to do. The crowd around her seemed to love it.
Children and the way people acted around them, were so strange...
Kadaj could not possibly see the reason for this.
The scene turned even stranger.
The small, irritatingly happy crowd parted down the middle. A smiling woman weaved through them, carrying something carefully above her head. Whatever it was, it was drawing a lot of attention. The human child began to jump up and down like a fool.
Kadaj narrowed his eyes at the object. What?
He had to do a double take, it was some kind of dessert, and it was...on fire?
And this was on purpose?
His curiosity got the best of him and he broke the silence atop the hill.
"What, is that?" Kadaj asked quietly, not tearing his eyes away from the spectacle.
His older brothers exchanged a glance. It was that look they always gave one another when they knew something that they were afraid to tell him.
It did not slip by unnoticed by Kadaj. Damn, that look angered him so.
"Well?" Kadaj asked louder this time.
Yazoo tossed his long hair behind his shoulders and rested his elbows on his knees, "That appears to be a ... birthday cake, brother."
A sliver of annoyance ran through Kadaj and he turned to glare at his brother. Yazoo might has well been speaking in another language to him.
"What, is that?" Kadaj demanded.
He loathed being left in the dark, he hated Mother and him leaving him out all of the time, and he certaintly didnt like Yazoo and Loz doing it eathier. But Yazoo and Loz were different, he could make them tell him anything. Any time he dared ask a question to him, he was only answered with punishment.
Yazoo and Loz exchanged another one of those glances and Kadaj's anger boiled.
Yazoo noticed, "Relax, brother. I am just searching for the way to explain it."
How could a pink pasty on fire be so damn difficult to explain?
This better be good because to add to Kadaj's bewilderment, the pathetic crowd of human's began to sing.
Loz actually had a small smile on his face.
Before Kadaj could address that matter, Yazoo spoke again.
"Once a year, on the day that they were...born..., " Yazoo stumbled a little over that word, it was one of those words that did not apply to them and therefore, they did not speak.
Yazoo continued softly, "Humans hold a celebration to commemorate the occasion. It is called, a birthday."
No one spoke for a moment.
Loz's smile, seemed, kind of sad, now that Kadaj studied it.
Loz noticed Kadaj's gaze, "They get presents from people, and sing songs...and nice stuff...," he trailed off, nervous.
Kadaj smirked, "And, what is the point, dear brother, of lighting food on fire?"
The little girl below was blowing the fire out.
"It is just a tradition, it is called a Birthday Cake. You light candles in correspondence to your age and then you blow them out." Yazoo explained.
Yes, Loz's smile was sad.
Did he feel sad too suddenly?
The brothers sat in silence for a long while. The birthday party eventually broke up, and the humans and the noise in the street were growing more and more scare. The night was ending, decorative laterns were shutting off slowly, one by one.
As the town began to grow as dark as their hill, the silence was broken once more.
"How come, we never had...a...Birthday Cake...?" Kadaj asked softly.
"Because in order to have a Birthday, you had to have been Born."
Kadaj winced, it was him again.
Invading his mind.
Shut up. Go away. Please.
"You were never born. You are not real.", came his voice once more.
The cruel laughter in his mind died out.
The hill and his brothers returned to him once more.
Kadaj unclenched his fists and moved them away from his head as the headache like pain subsided. His brothers laid comforting hands on his back, there was no need for words, they understood.
Well, understood as much as they could. He only spoke to Kadaj. Mother told him, that this was because he was the Chosen one of the three.
Kadaj wasn't sure sometimes if he liked being the Chosen one.
Yazoo's voice broke this thought, "Maybe...we should."
"Should what?" Loz asked.
"Have...a Birthday Cake..." Yazoo responded, moving his hand gently on Kadaj's back still.
Kadaj thought of his words.
He was real, he had to be. So were his brothers. He could feel Yazoo's gentle touch, it was real.
They deserved a Birthday Cake, didn't they?
"Yes, we should." Kadaj answered finally, "but, when?"
"Hmm," came Yazoo, as he thought. "How about, exactly one year from now, brother?"
Kadaj nodded. One year from now. One year from today would be his Birthday celebration.
"Yes, I like that idea. This day, next year, it is."
For some reason, he realized that he greatly looked forward to that day.
Not long after, the three departed from the hill as the last of the light's shut out, off to search for Mother once again.
(later)
"...Brother..." Kadaj gasped, reaching up in a weak attempt to hold onto his older brother, Cloud.
He could feel it through the pain, he couldn't hold on any longer. He was dying.
The rain mixed with his tears.
Mother, had chosen him after all.
Where were Yazoo and Loz? He wanted all of his brothers here.
"Kadaj?" A comforting feminine voice filled his mind.
"...Mother...?" he gasped, his eyes searching the heavens.
The pull was stronger, he couldn't fight any longer. He could no longer feel his older brother holding him, he was afraid.
Suddenly, a thought passed his mind.
A year had passed, hadn't it? Today was the day that he was supposed to get his Birthday Cake.
He wanted his Birthday cake.
Maybe, maybe, Mother would have one for him?
She called him again, "You dont have to hold on any longer."
He reached his arm upwards.