redshifts:

Hatoful Servant

Kazuaki Nanaki

“The King’s Picture Book”

Once, there was a poor little quail.

One day, the quail was tricked by a bad bird and killed.

The quail was put onto the train through the night sky, along with all the other birds who had died.
Where is the train going? There must be a terrible place at the end of the line.
The quail was so scared, and so afraid, it thought its little heart would burst.

But the train stopped, for a little while.
Apparently  even galactic trains have to wait for signals.
The quail was too scared to stay on the train,  so it jumped off.

There was a dark, dark room there.
There was nothing in it but a chair and a little candle.
There was no one else there.

The quail sat on the chair and cried.
Why did this happen?
It was betrayed by its friend and forced onto a strange train.
What would happen next?

The quail thought, and thought, and made a station.
Maybe if there’s a station,  someone will come by to play.
The quail made a station,  and lit the candle, and waited.

Time passed. Birds came.
The dark room became a beautiful kingdom.

The candle became a grand lighthouse.

The chair became a royal throne.

And the quail became The King.

Those who come to the kingdom become one with The King.
The King is all, and all  are The King.
No one is hurt, and no one has any sad thoughts.

The birds of Holiday Star lived happily.
Happily, ever after.
How nice.
How very nice.