Canon Stories

It had been centuries since Autumn had left him. Kapono had grieved, at first, it was only natural that he would, losing his wife of untold years before that. But over time he’d come to accept it. It was what she wanted- purpose, to continue on, to join the cycle and be reincarnated elsewhere. Though she was gone, she never left his mind as he decided to continue on. Though she sought purpose in serving the world in her own way, his purpose was to serve as an advisor to his niece. One of the few people she could trust. Myra, an age-old god longer than most of existence, who’d eventually ascended to head of the pantheon alongside her husband, had far and few people who really earned her understanding to the fullest. Being one of them, Kapono wanted to be there for her, even through the aching of his heart. She never demanded he do so, or insisted upon it. 

“You can join her, if you want”. She’d always reassure him, but there was a somberness to her voice. Even if she understood, she didn’t want him to leave. Which, ultimately- was fine for Kapono. His parents had chosen to stay as spirits, his nieces and nephews, his family line still continuing on in the faces of children he’d watch from afar and never actually meet (Not for lack of desire- but explaining yourself as their long-dead great-great-great grandfather would be difficult) . He still felt like he had a reason to stay. So he did.

Myra had called him to a strange place this time. She was waiting for him atop an empty grassy hill, staring off into the sky. As he appeared behind her- materializing from thin air (An ability she’d given him and he’d still struggled to adjust to using at times); he looked around quizzically “Yes? You called for me?” he said to his niece, who looked back to him over her shoulder “Yes, I did. Were you busy?” she asked him as she turned to look at him, her canine-like ears twitching curiously at the sound of his voice.

“No…well, not particularly.” he sighed out. “I was researching that spell you’d asked me to look into…” he said “What are we doing here?” he cast his eyes out around the hill- nothing but forest in a sea around the clearing. And no city in sight. It reminded him of the old days at the village, the forests as far as he could see. “It is a nice view.” He remarked offhandedly. Myra blinked thoughtfully, following his gaze out to the trees “Yes… It certainly is. But I have brought you here for a reason.” she affirmed. Walking away from him to crouch down. From his angle, Kapono couldn’t tell what she was looking at. So he crept closer to look over her shoulder “Oh? And what reason is that?” he asked her. Studying the small sproutling she was looking at. It looked to be a tree- a young one. Barely rooted and fragile, and only a foot tall, at best.

“I know she won’t really remember you…not like this, anyway. Trees don’t tend to talk much to people who aren’t Nature….” she said softly, her voice nearly carried away on the wind. “...But I thought you’d want to know that she was here.” she said to him. She didn’t look at him. But he was glad she didn’t- the look on his face was akin to being shot in the chest. Autumn? His Autumn was back? As this small tree….? He could already feel the tears welling up. But Myra- in all the years had come to understand her uncle very well. She didn’t acknowledge them at all, she let him have his moment even as he crouched beside her, reaching to brush a finger ever-so-gently over one of the tiny saplings leaves. He said nothing for a long few moments. He didn’t need to. Autumn couldn’t hear him anyway. She was only a tree, now. But his beloved’s soul was still there. It wasn’t the same- it never would be, and it never could be. But he did find some comfort in knowing that she was still in the world, in some form- in some presence.

Though the tears streaming down his face would belie the small joy he’d been given- he sniffled softly “T…Thank you..” he called to Myra quietly. She only nodded, and said nothing. He wasn’t looking towards her, but he could sense when she left wordlessly. A goddess of her stature- it was like a weight, a pressure of her power nearby. Even though he wasn’t a god himself, he could still sense the heaviness of her magical presence and could thus- sense its absence when she took it with her. Leaving him alone in the forest, only the smallest breeze carrying the light rustles around him as he now sat in the grass. Enjoying the silent company of the soul that used to be his wife in a distant past.

He cared for her diligently. Every free moment he got, when he needed peace, when Myra didn’t need him, he delicately watered and trimmed the small tree. He made sure it was safe, he learned magical warding spells to protect it in his absence. As the years faded on- as they often do, it sprouted taller and taller. Becoming a flowing willow tree atop an empty hill, a pedestal for her alone. Well, it. A tree. Being that it was only a tree- Kapono couldn’t hear it speak, if it tried to at all-trees were funny that way, but Kapono could speak to it. He’d sit under its branches, quietly telling it stories. Telling her all that she’d missed. What had become of their children, their grandchildren, their grandchildrens-grandchildren. It was comforting to talk to himself, even if he knew that a plant could never really listen or respond. It brought him some form of closure in it all to have that belief that somehow she was hearing him in some way. 

“Do you think it knows?” Myra asked as she stood beside Nature, both watching Kapono from a distance where he sat under the large willow, quietly reading something. “Knows?” Nature smiled knowingly, amused by the question. He knew what she meant- but wanted her to elaborate anyways. “Knows that he cares so much for it.” Myra clarified. Even if Kapono knew the tree wasn’t really Autumn, of course. Nature only chuckled lightly, reaching to pat her on the shoulder “Hm. I think it knows.” he studied the tree. “Look how much it blooms, how fast it’s grown. A plant is like anything else. They may not see things like we do, they may not speak in words, but they feel things all the same. Love is a powerful magic, you know.” he said, the irony wasn’t lost on him… “She doesn’t know why he cares for her and not the other trees. She doesn’t understand the noises he makes or the things he does. Or why he brings her water when it’s been too long since rain. She only knows that he does, and for that she loves him in the purest way that the forest can.” he said simply. “That’s the funny thing about souls. They tend to find each other no matter what, if they truly belong together. In whatever form they may be. Partners, friends, confidants….once souls are connected, it’s awful hard to break them apart.” he remarked.

Myra couldn’t help but roll her eyes just a little- she wasn’t oblivious to the obvious jab at her own circumstances. “I’d still love Ronny if he were a tree.” she said simply. Nature just laughed “And I’m sure he’d love you too. In the way that trees do.”