An old hedgehog laid in a field. He had scars all over his body, as mementos of some unknown but petty war. As his thoughts took a hike, just like he did in his quest to discover himself, he remembered his wife. It had been too long, he thought, but I will never see you again. He thought of the greatest war ever fought, with his friends and rivals fighting by his side. He remembered the young men and women, with the light of war in their eyes slowly fading after taking a bullet.
He remembered the deaths.
Oh, how he remembered the deaths.
Bright windows to the soul, slowly fading as the life drained out of them. A smile on their face, freezing as the last expression they would ever have. The funeral, the tears, the murmured prayers for the soul that had left its vessel. He could never forget the feeling of watching time move over you, skipping you, leaving you behind, but taking those you love.
A single tear slid down his cheek
But he remembered love.
He remembered the many forms it could take. His respect for his rivals, his team's special bond, the care for his friends, the pure love shared between him and his wife, the awe and instant parental love between him and his offspring.
He smiled, and something long buried within him gave, giving way to an odd numb feeling. The world seemed to be sinking away, or was he rising? He couldn't tell. As the Earth fell away, he saw faces. There was the blue quills mixed with pink, there was the silver quills waving in the breeze, there was the long red dreadlocks of a certain echidna…Then he froze. There she was. Tan dreads hanging down, an amber headband across them, those cerulean eyes so filled with compassion and hope. His wife. As they said his name, he thought of all he had done, and was proud. Even though he was in so many wars, he still loved, still cared, unlike some of the veterans. He closed his eyes, ready to come home.
"When my ancestor was delirious, he often mention something called the land of love. As soon as I asked about it, he would simply smile and say, 'You're too young yet to go there.' I never understood until today. He meant his heaven. Good luck in the land of love, Shadow." Tears streamed down my face. I never thought that I would be the one to see his death. He had lived for so long. No face was dry. Everyone cried for the hedgehog who believed in the virtue of love, and had so much to give. I was surprised that he hadn't distanced himself. He was just another hedgehog.