Non-challenge

[isabeau1025.livejournal.com]

Prompt: Sanctuary

Title: Night Garden

Word Count: 621

Notes: I’m sorry it’s so long. I tried to edit it and ended up with 11 more words. Takes place sometime after KH2

 

Minnie found her husband’s star child sitting in the damp grass of her night garden, absorbed in the tiny unfurling petals of the star moss that covered the far wall. Night bells bloomed on either side of him, and a dusky moth had landed in his hair. Minnie tucked the image away for her sketch pad, and cleared her throat softly to let him know she was there.

                                

He jumped and turned to look at her, dislodging the moth from his hair. It fluttered up, seeming almost as indignant as the boy was surprised. Minnie hadn’t thought it possible to surprise the battle weary child. She felt a little thrill of delight in knowing that he could still loose himself so completely in something as simple as a flower.

 

“Queen Minnie,” Even in the moonlight it was clear that his cheeks colored a charming red, and he started to scramble to his feet. “I can go. I didn’t know this was your garden…”

 

Minnie waved her hand dismissively. “No stay. It’s not really my garden. I found it.”

 

“Found it?” He sat back down, careful not to crush any of the night bells.

 

“While Mickey was gone.” She nodded and sat in the grass across from him, paying the dewy wetness no mind.

 

The boy winced slightly and looked away, his fingers curling into fists against the ground.

 

“Daisy hovers like an old hen when she worries.” Minnie said as if he hadn’t reacted at all.

 

He gave her a puzzled look.

 

“Sometimes I just needed time to think without her worrying.” The queen continued. “And sometimes I just wanted to miss Mickey in peace.”

 

“I’m sorry he had to be away so long.” He replied, his voice as quiet as the warm night breeze.

 

“I knew that he would leave.” Minnie laughed softly. “I knew that when I married him. I knew that before I married him. I knew that before even he did, I think. Mickey has never been the sort of person to walk away, and I wouldn’t ever want him to be.”

 

He couldn’t protest that, because he wouldn’t be sitting there under the moonlight, amidst the night bells and star moss, if the king had been anyone other than who he was. He wouldn’t have been sitting anywhere, in fact.

 

“I used to walk the gardens after Daisy went to bed, but they were always so dark and gloomy.” She slipped her shoes off and dug her toes into the damp grass, remembering for just a moment being a child on the banks of the river and counting the stars as they came out. “Then one night I turned a corner and found this garden.”

 

She took in the whole of the small garden with a wave of her hand, all the pale blue and white blooms, the moon lilies and the night crawlers and the moth that had settled in the boy’s hair again.

 

“It’s my night garden.” Minnie smiled.

 

“How do they grow in the dark?” He reached out tentatively to touch one of the night bells beside him, and dew fell from it in silver drops.

 

“It’s what they were made to do.” The queen shrugged, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

 

He laughed then, and a swarm of fireflies were startled from the grass. They rose up around them and for a moment it was as if they were sitting in a cloud of stars. She watched the wonder on his face, unguarded for just a few brief moments.

 

Someday, he would be her star child as well, and she would find the same joy Mickey did in watching him shine when all else had gone dark.

 

Comments

[tea-berry.livejournal.com]

“How do they grow in the dark?” He reached out tentatively to touch one of the night bells beside him, and dew fell from it in silver drops.

“It’s what they were made to do.” The queen shrugged, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

For some reason those lines really speak to me. I read them and I was just stunned for a few moments. This is an absolutely brilliant piece. ♥

[isabeau1025.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the kind words. :) I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[lorei.livejournal.com]

I love this *_* The language and the imagery is lovely, and the characters are portrayed so...beautifully, and interestingly.
Also Minnie is awesome. I'm no good at writing her, but you are pretty damn awesome.
I'm mem-ing this, if you don't mind :D

[isabeau1025.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Minnie has really grown on me as a character, and Mickey too. This drabble was sort of an outgrowth of another drabble I did about Riku and Minnie called Kodak Moment. I've really enjoyed working with Minnie's character.

I'm flattered that you want to mem this. Go right ahead, and thanks again.

[fox_the_kitsune]

*__* I'm not sure why, but the moth amuses me. It's a nice little detail. The writing is very pretty.

[isabeau1025.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you like the moth. It almost got cut when I was trying to get the word count down, but the atmosphere just didn't seem right with out it. Thank you for the comment!

[dreamer1789.livejournal.com]

I love the interaction between these two, it's very natural (as much as can be in their universes.) ^^ The way Minnie enjoys what remains of Sora's innocence is just so very sweet and beautifully done. ♥

[isabeau1025.livejournal.com]

It was meant to be Riku. I probably should have made that clearer. I'm not sure why his name never made it into the piece. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's always fun putting these two together. Thank you for commenting!

[dreamer1789.livejournal.com]

^^; Lol, my mistake. It just kinda screamed Sora to me, and because Mickey also saved his butt in KH2 it seemed logical. It works with Riku too though. XD

[obabscribbler.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind, but I couldn't help reccing this.

http://obabscribbler.livejournal.com/330383.html

[isabeau1025.livejournal.com]

No, I don't mind. I'm glad you liked it, and I'm flattered you want to recoment it. I do like Minnie. I think she was really a great queen all by herself, even without Mickey around. I have another drabble called Kodak Moment about Riku and Minnie in my livejournal. Sanctuary was sort of an outgrowth of that one. Here's the link if you're interested:

http://isabeau1025.livejournal.com/1322.html#cutid9

[llivla.livejournal.com]

Came here from a recc list. This is absolutely fantastic--though I've always loved Minnie, in the game I loved her more and at the same time I was frustrated at her lack of screentime. This fic gave me an insight to everything, and the one scene I wanted so much between Riku and Minnie. Omg, even though I wanted Riku, Sora, and Kairi to be reunited forever so badly I also wanted Mickey to adopt Riku. xD Again, this was just so simple and yet so poignant and I thank you so much for sharing this, and I'm memorying this, definitely.

<3

[isabeau1025.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. I really liked Mickey and Minnie both in the game, and I wouldn't have minded if Mickey had adopted Riku. I've always seem the king as a strong parental figure for him. I have another drabble about Minnie and Riku in my livejournal called Kodak Moment, as well as some scattered stories about Riku and Mickey, if you are interested. The link to Kodak Moment is posted in the reply right above your post.