Stardate 40934.4 - Personal Log, Lt JG Elli Vos

Posted on 10 Aug 2020 @ 11:05pm by Lieutenant JG Elli Vos

The shower stopped running and the glass panel, or door, opened, allowing the Trill to step out and grab herself a towel to dry off. masterfully wrapping the towel as a headpiece to dry her hair up, she put on a bathrobe, then looked at one of the spots on her thigh. While Elli rocked spots that came in a leopard design, opposite of the more common bent spots, one of her spots had a unique shape. It was shaped remarkably close to the form of a rose petal. She ran her finger over the spot a few times, remembering the story she was told ages ago ...

A much younger Elli ran across the room, refusing to head to bed and with an annoyed mother on her heels trying to get her daughter to finally sleep. The 11 year-old Trill girl finally lost her cat and mouse chase with her mother and was picked up and planted on the mattress before her mom joined her on the bed. "Come on mom, tell me the story again!" The highpitched squeaky voice of young Elli sounded adorable and didn't give mother Sara much of a chance to say no. Laying her daughter down and grabbing the sheets, she began the tale, the tale of the blossoms.

"Back in ancient times, before any Trill had taken to the stars, when the symbionts and Trill were one, there was a festival each year in spring. People gathered from all over the lands to celebrate this festival. The sky would rain pink petals for days, with no end seemingly in sight. Everyone was happy, but everyone was also a little sad, because the festival was for them to love the lives they had, but also to remember the people and friends that had gone. The festival embraced life and death. But one night, during the festival here, in Qarrana City, a young boy disappeared. Nobody knew where he'd gone, and for days he was missing, until finally they found him in his bed. To everyones surprise, he was fine. Doctors examined him and found nothing wrong. So people asked him, where did you go, little boy?"

Sara tucked in her daughter tightly, making sure she wouldn't make another attempt at running off and wreacking havoc in their household. The young girls face was already radiant, excited about the story she'd heard a million times before. "He went to see the spirits, right mommy?" The Trill mother smiled and kissed her little girl on the forehead. "Yes ,he did. In the 4 days that he was missing, the boy had visited the Spirit Realm, where we all go once we leave this world. All the adults told the boy he was lying or mistaken, because they knew the Spirit Realm wasn't real. But the boy kept by his story. He told his mother and father about the fox he'd followed once he arrived, who let him to a beautiful forest fully of gentle spirits. He told his friends all about the adventures he had, trying to play a prank on the evil gatekeeper with one of the spirits as his friends, and finding the shards of a spirits sword that the spirit was losing on purpose. He even talked to his pet about the time he helped two lost brothers find each other again."

Elli looked out the window in her quarters. She still vividly remembered the story, and her heart was going crazy right now remembering every detail. She remembered every fox she'd drawn, the spirit that would guide souls to peace. The joker, who played a prank on the evil gatekeeper, and the two brothers that were reunited. Whenever she'd felt lonely, or struggled, Elli always imagined the fox guide was at her side, helping her through the tough times.

"But noone believed him, did they mommy?" Sara shook her head. "Even with all the stories he told, the people still wouldn't believe him. The young boy spend his life with that experience, but nobody ever truly believed him. In the end, he also left our world and passed on. When all went dark, he saw a fox, who patiently sat atop a hill, waiting for him. It was the same fox he'd met all those years ago. Glad that his struggles were finally over and he could rest now, he followed the fox down the path he'd walked before. And when he got to the end, he looked upon all the people who never believed him, all gathered around him, smiling. Deep down, he knew they were sorry, and he forgave them all. And just like you, he had a very special spot, right here." Sara pointed at Elli's little leg, where she had the petal-shaped spot. The young girl turned a bit, almost dislodging the sheets. "I bet he played more pranks with Teemo, right mommy?" Elli's mother smiled and gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Yes honey, they did. And every night, Ahri the fox was there with him, looking at the sunset. And he would never be alone again."

Elli looked beyond the stars and gazed upon her reflection in the window. There she stood, in the darkness of space, all alone, the fox Ahri nowhere to be found. Even though it was a story meant to comfort children that were going through a tough time, somewhere in her heart, Elli always believed that the story had truth in its roots, and that she'd one day also meet the fox. That her Spirit Blossom, or her blooming soul if you will, would find its way to peace. But with recent events, her faith had been shaken. And looking upon her reflection, alone and enveloped by darkness, she started to realize that Ahri might not be waiting for her after all. Gripping tightly onto the bathrobe, she blinked, causing a tear to roll down her cheek, falling right on the petal-shaped spot.