A long time ago in the far away world of Woeland, lived Little Ed, a boy with the warmest heart that shone golden when he was happy and a smile as cute as was ever seen in all of Woeland. Now this Woeland was not like our world, it was magical. Everyone in Woeland had a doll in their possession and this doll was supposed to be representation of who they were; made by each person themselves when they grew up.
Why was Woeland magical you ask? Because these dolls in Woeland were of all types and varieties, defying any logic known to the men of our world, some were dark, some shone bright, some weakly made dolls crumbled in an instant only to reappear in perfect shape in an entirely different instance, and the dolls of some very vicious people was said to be able to change shape, size and hue as easily as the dryads changed trees. The magic of the dolls and the abilities of the people carrying them, made Woeland the most magical place there ever was. But little Ed had no doll of his own, because he was just a boy, not a grown up man yet. But he always dreamed of dolls, and wanted a special one.
Because every night under the moonlight, in the cool calm winds of Woeland, Ed's grandmother would tell him stories of great kings in the past who had dolls as rigid and unchanging as the stone, and as beautiful as the falling waterfalls, enchanting anyone and everyone around them. Ed would hear in wonder the stories of the exploits of these great kings that possessed the most marvelous dolls men in Woeland had ever seen, and wonder in awe if those stories were true. And when the stories were done, and after his grandmother would kiss him goodnight, he would curl up in her arms and dream of the kings and their beautiful dolls.
And every night, a beautiful smile would play on his lips and his heart would shine bright through the sky, as he slept peacefully in his grandmother's arms, dreaming of the dead kings conquering hearts far and wide in their time, by the unwavering magic of their dolls. But come morning a dull ache for such a perfect doll would creep into his heart and its shine would simmer down under the rays of the beautiful morning sun. He yearned to be great like the kings and be known through all of Woeland, forever like the kings.
So, when he was 16 years old, Ed packed his bags and leaving his grandmother behind, left for the Workshop of Wonders, the best and the most magical workshop in all of Woeland. All the best dolls in the land were said to be made by the alumnus of this workshop. The workshop was a world unto itself. Large acres of land sprawling with infrastructural monstrosities, teeming with people of different ages seeking inspiration, knowledge and wisdom- slowly working their way to building their dolls.
And there Ed set to work, reading books and learning the necessary arts and crafts. For two years Ed prepared himself and after months of rigorous training under the most glorious masters, when he was finally ready, he set to work on his doll. And a fortnight later, when the masters checked up on him, they told him his doll was turning out to be really promising and it might well be the best Woeland had seen in a long time. This was no surprise for Ed, because ever since he was a kid, he had built himself in the image of his heroes, and a doll was supposed to be a true representation of its master. But even then, it was nowhere near the dolls of legends that he dreamt of. So he closed himself in his workroom and went to work on his doll through day and night, he forgot the passing suns and the phasing moons and after a month inside, the doll was still not done. Each day he would seek out a weakness in the doll and then set to rebuilding it, just as he built and rebuilt himself in the desired image. and so this continued. He sweated through the summers and shivered through the winters, always working on his beloved doll and come spring, it was finally done.
He opened the doors of his work room and called on his masters. Curious as cats, they rushed into the workroom, followed by people unknown to Ed, for in the time Ed was cooped up in the workroom word had spread of a man trying to build a doll of legends in the Workshop of Wonders, and anyone who had heard of that rumor had come rushing in wanting to see it for themselves. So they all assembled in the workroom as many as could fit while many that were slow still waited outside.
'Did u really make it?' His masters asked him. In response Edward unveiled his doll to everyone present, smiling happily and puffing up his chest in pride. His heart shone as bright as the sun that day, bathing everyone in its golden light- he was the happiest man alive.
Everyone crooned when they saw the beauty of the doll and the masters looked at him in awe. Nobody could believe what they saw. Such had been its workmanship that he had surpassed the kings that were his inspiration. The doll seemed magical even to the denizens of Woeland. It looked different with different perspectives. To someone in need of guidance, the doll seemed thoughtful and wise, to the lonely heart it was warm and welcoming, to the troublemakers it seemed to be stern and punishing and to the kids it always seemed playful. Yet everyone that saw it realized this doll was unchanging, it was the observer's eyes doing the magic, owing to the trick of workmanship. It was everything good anyone wanted it to be, but the observer could only see what he/she wanted it to be. It was genius of a kind that Woeland had not witnessed in more than a millenia.
But it was more than genius, it was sheer skill, desire and willpower made into being and infused with knowledge of the highest order, that of people and their understanding. It was the very core of what Ed had shaped himself into. And only the honorable and truly wise could begin to grasp the complexity of the doll even to a significant extent, for such a doll was never seen by any living soul and nobody truly understood what was unseen. But everyone was awed by it and pulled towards it, for in it they saw the truth in the stories of the past, and it rekindled a hope for a time of men of stature and for rulers capable of greatness.
As was expected, Ed soon became king of the world and found a beautiful bride whose doll, shone of compassion, love and joy. He was happier than he ever was and the kingdom basked under the glow of his splendid heart made better by the company he kept- of trusted friends and family. With everyone behind him, Ed was unstoppable. He was like the Superman of Woeland. He performed wonders and achieved greatness of God-like levels. But his most talked of achievement was the taming of the Spirits of Emotions.
Before his coronation, when he was travelling the world, basking in its beauty and glory he had encountered and tamed the spirits of emotions. The emotion spirits were beings of pure energy manifest in Woeland, in the nature of particular emotions.
He first encountered the emotion spirits of anger in a village leagues north of the Workshop of Wonders. Though few, the spirits were capable of great feats, and they grew in strength and numbers as they fed on the anger and sorrow of the people.
As Ed set down his backpack to face these demons of fire, he was warned by some people cowering in fear-
'Beware the spirits! They change you, and you become their pawn. None have withstood their effect on human minds.'
But Ed knew who he was, a testament to integrity, a result of years of hard work; unchanging, unwavering and true to himself. He sought out the spirits and tried to reason with them, and when that failed he fought with them. It is said for fourteen days he dueled the demons of temper, seeking to control and tame the pure energy of fury with sheer willpower. The people watched and prayed as Ed and the spirits stood frozen against each other for those fourteen days, each seeking to overpower the other. By the 15th day Ed had realized that a source of power existed for the anger spirits, consistently fuelling their rage and power. There was no defeating them like this. So Ed resigned and the spirits unleashed themselves over the village once again with monstrous rage.
To the dismay of the villagers Ed prepared to leave, for he planned to find the source and cut off its supply to the anger spirits.They saw hope in one that was yet unchanged by the spirits and they begged him not to leave as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Ed tried to tell them he was not abandoning them but the desperate naive souls could not trust him, and they bound him to a pillar and gagged him until nightfall, when they carried him to the Village Square and abandoned him in the midst of angry spirits hoping he would manage to calm the spirits and save his own skin, or at least theirs. The spirits on finding him tied and helpless attacked him with rage tempered anew. They burned him harsh and with it the bonds that tied him. Finding no shame, Ed fled the village and the spirits under the cover of the night that cloaked him by God's Grace.
But the thought of protecting the villagers had not left him. They were desperate for an end to their misery, and so what they did was forgiven. He searched the lands around the village for the spirits of Sorrow and Frustration that must justify the presence of the anger spirits. He found them under the rocks, in the trees and on top of a hill. He gathered the spirits and talked to them for these were not beyond reason. To put an end to their misery, Ed offered them asylum inside his doll of beauty and forever promised them his company.
'Solitude is poison, company does us good. So we shall leave this land and reside in your doll. But be warned, if you despair, more shall join us within your doll. Is that agreeable to you?' They asked Ed.
He agreed and they honored his wish.Thus were the anger spirits cut off from the very source of their power. Ed returned to the village with raised hopes and this time managed to tame the anger spirits and calm them down into tranquil spirits of Peace.
And so was the first quest of our Little Ed completed, putting him onto a path to become the ruler of Woeland. This was followed by an array of quests that Ed undertook himself and he dealt with all the spirits of emotions that sought to destroy the land. He calmed the oceans of restlessness and anxiety, and then drove fear out of the nights, only to be faced with the spirits of jealousy which he quickly put to rest with his humility. And when all this was done, he travelled to the eastern edges of Woeland where the land met the sky and there he found the Spirits of joy and Good times gleefully staying away from all that sought to hamper them. He brought them to his kingdom and for a while all was well once again.
But all good times must come to an end. And so was the fate of Woeland.
Soon after their marriage came the initial signs of trouble when the now queen of Woeland failed to handle the pressure and responsibilities of this newfound life. Ed travelled far and wide in his quest to maintain peace and prosperity of his kingdom, and on such instances it fell on the queen to rule the land. But not everyone was cut out for such life and soon her loving and compassionate self started eroding to be replaced by irritable and unreasonable behavior. This darkened matters both in Ed's personal life and their kingdom. Her doll began to lose its charm and upon realizing the deteriorating state of matters, Ed suspended all his future quests to stay and help his loving wife.
This did not improve matters for the queen because Ed was not just the king, but also a man in need of love. So now she found her hands full with multiple responsibilities, to her kingdom, to her king, and a certain level to herself. The queen refused to learn to juggle between her responsibilities in a healthy way. To put it honestly, she could not, she was too caught up in her own web of importance, as the queen she had found a sense of purpose in her responsibilities. And for this reason Ed feared giving her up to her life as the Queen meant losing her for good.
Though deep down somewhere her heart yearned to be more than just the Queen too. But in being the Queen she had lost sight of the important things in life. As is often the case, the path to self destruction is one that fuels and sustains itself unless the person on it takes hard measures to step off, often at a price. And any change to her life risked some aspect of her responsibilities as the Queen, and that she could not afford.
In her wholehearted attempts to make things better for her husband while having to sacrifice nothing, she achieved very little apart from Ed's dissatisfaction. Even when Ed listened to her and tried to keep his demands low, her hard work always fell short of Ed's satisfaction.
He tried to help her the best he could but Ed's ways and solutions demanded an attitude that was not easily learned and imbibed in oneself. And so it never made sense to the Queen and she forever felt helpless with the increasing difficulty of matters. This combined with her guilt of keeping her King unhappy frustrated her immensely.
And thus things got out of hand, happily married became a struggle to keep things right. And soon, fights escalated and the queen threatened to leave the king. Ed weeped this change of heart in his queen. And the fact that he could do nothing to fix things, made matters worse for him. All his perfection, his integrity and wisdom was all for naught, for nothing could change as long as the Queen did not see the error of her ways. The more Ed struggled to set things right, the further he pushed his queen away and their life together soured. And as this continued the management of the kingdom's affairs worsened.
Four years into their marriage, on the summer morning of Ed's infamous Dragon Quest, his manservant walked into his Armory with a letter from the Queen. Ed held it to the shaft of sunlight coming in through the east windows and was faintly conscious of the dust motes swirling around his hands as he read through the letter. It was a farewell letter. The Queen's frustration had finally gotten the better of her and she had decided giving up was the best course of action.
'Where is my queen?' Ed asked his manservant.
'Left sire.'
'Where to?'
"Nobody knows, your majesty. She left in the dark of the night. The letter addressed to you was on her bed this morning.'
Keeping his head held high Ed nodded to his servant and he left his king alone.
Alone Ed was finally conscious of the dust motes swirling around in the sunrays as if in tandem to some unknown law of nature. He was suddenly aware of the futility of his life. Something inside his very core was shattered, a belief in people and their promises, a belief in long lasting love. As he watched the dust motes swirling he noticed the air in front of him shimmer into life. A Sorrow spirit was born, it stared at Ed for a moment, before heading into his doll resting on a table at his side. Head in his hands, Ed fell to his knees and the doll thrummed as more and more spirits added to the numbers inside.
Then Ed, the Great conqueror of Woes, crumpled in a heap as he wept over the final shred of love once most treasured. And this was how Ed was later found by Ronald, the Commander of his knights- crouching on the floor in a puddle of his own tears, silent, red eyed and pale faced.
That afternoon Ed set off for the lair of the Dragon kind with his knights and personal guard, despite vehement opposition against the same. He sought what little semblance of peace he could find in keeping himself busy and going. The lair was a day's ride out of the limits of Ed's capital city and after riding them hard for the remainder of the sunlight hours, Ed finally let his men set camp for the night a few hours past nightfall beside lake Narogad of old.
While his men busied themselves around the campsite, Ed pushed his horse into a jog around the shore until he came upon a wooden pier, now derelict and somewhat rotten. He could faintly hear the noises of his men prepping the campsite as he dismounted his horse. A look in the direction of the campsite confirmed they were lost behind an outgrowth of trees growing close to the pier; he was alone now. He stepped onto the pier and slowly walked to the edge of it and gazed upon the vast stillness of the lake that stretched ahead of him far into the night. A deep melancholy settled onto him as he watched the surface of the water rippling with the gentle wind that swept through his hair now. Alone, away from prying eyes Ed let go of his kingly demeanor and his shoulder slouched under the weight of his sorrow. Memories of a long lost past trickled into his mind and tears in turn flooded his eyes.
The doll in his coat pockets thrummed stronger as the tears rolled down his cheeks. It was then that Ed committed his greatest folly. In a desperate bid to feel better, he summoned the spirits of Joy and amongst shaking sobs embraced them, hoping their gleeful energy would cure his broken heart. But such was his gloom, his despondence that instead, the spirits withered and faded into nothingness under his touch. Eyes wet, he looked down at his reflection in the moonlight. His heart darker than a moonless night, he vowed he was done with everything to do with the kingship that lost him his wife. This quest would be his last.
Precisely then, he heard the sound of quick footfalls on the pier, he turned around a moment too late and the sword went through his gut. His eyes widened in shock and surprise as he saw his killer's face.
'Why?' He managed to ask in a pained whisper.
'A coup of course!' said Ronald, twisting his sword further into Ed's gut 'The queen, is taking over.'
Realization dawned on Ed as he spewed blood onto the hilt of his impaler's sword. His gaze swept over to all the other knights watching nonchalantly behind Ronald, before it came back to rest on his grinning face. With a grunt he withdrew his sword and pushed Ed into the water. Ed groaned and as he fell backwards, he felt his doll crack and shatter in his coat. With blazing heat all the trapped spirits of sorrow issued forth along with an army of fiery anger spirits.
Ed heard Ronald's frightened shriek a moment before his body hit the water and he smiled inwardly before the water rushed over his face and his body kicked into reflex, lunging forward and gasping for air. It was only after he had swallowed some water and choked that his years of swimming experience kicked in. A fiery burning filled his wound and pain flared all across his abdomen. He managed to swim to the shore and with gritted teeth, groaning and crying he dragged himself out of the water and flopped onto the sandy shore of Lake Narogad.
For a while he lay there panting, with each gulp of air a fresh bout of pain seared across his flesh. Ed tried to shake off the pain and clear his head. He looked about, there was an unholy silence about him and he knew with certainty all his killers were dead. But all was not well. It was a mistake keeping the sorrow spirits in his doll. His company kept their misery in check, but his sorrow only added to their numbers, giving birth to the anger spirits until his doll could not take it anymore. And now an army of it had unleashed itself upon the world and would destroy it if left unchecked. He knew what must be done now, but did the people deserve it, two faced as they were?
The events of the day replayed in his head and he felt betrayed and broken. The actions of his loved and trusted ones had crushed his belief in people altogether and he regretted his life of service.
If this was the reality of people, did they deserve a saviour?
He had conquered evil with sheer grit and skill, spreading light through the darkest of nights for the people to follow. In his time, he had managed to bring Joy, Peace and Prosperity to the world by being an abiding pillar of righteousness and honor. Had he been like the others, he would not have won over the spirits and the people, they would have him consumed or twisted long before he tamed them.
But who had he struggled so hard for?
He fished his doll out of his pocket and gazed upon its flawless face. Broken and shattered into pieces- from the neck below, it still smiled at him. Ed smiled back at the doll and his heart felt a little lighter. The doll reminded him of the kings of old and he felt a familiar sense of longing creep back into his heart. He thought back to his nights as a child so many years ago, under the same star studded sky, in the arms of his loving grandmother. His Grandmother, Ed remembered with a pang of regret, was someone that deserved saving. Her fading presence was a shining beacon of hope for Ed and proof enough of a world worth fighting for. He knew now the world must be saved; and he knew why.
Ignoring the pain flashing across his abdomen, Ed set his doll onto the blood smeared sand beside him with a grunt. He unsheathed his dagger and paused for a moment considering what he was about to do. He could survive this if he wanted, but by the time he recovered enough to tame the spirits, the world would have succumbed to the chaotic fire, if it hadn't already. There was only one way to end this. He had to cut the anger spirits from the source of their power and hope the people would be strong enough to do the rest.
Ed sighed as another wave of gentle breeze swept over him. He gazed at the star studded sky and took a moment to thank his Grandmother for all those stories she told him so long ago. He was who he was because of her. And now who he was must come to an end, like the kings of his stories it was time for him to leave this world and pass into legend. As he lifted the dagger high above him, a new found hope crept into his heart, and it glowed golden once more before the plunging dagger drained the life from it.
In his final moments Ed believed his life would inspire a worthy king to replace him just like the kings before him had inspired him. He found a purpose in his passing and hoped such a king would protect the world for he knew now all was not wrong with it, there was good that sought to flourish and bewitch the world with its wonderful bright hues of joy and kindness. There was good signified by people like his grandmother that deserved saving and protecting, for it was only in their upkeep and subsistence that the world would find the joy that would disambiguate its existence. He understood in his final moments, that all the good in the world was the act of kind souls who acted selflessly. So all the negativity could wait for now, it was time now for his happy ending.
The glow slowly ebbed from his heart, and Ed finally slipped into a deep slumber- forgetting all his pain and sorrow; finding his well deserved peace. And so he slept, the great king of Woeland, peacefully for ever after.
Epilogue
In their time with him, the spirits of Sorrow had bonded with Ed and his emotions. And as Ed's life force had slipped into the after-world, the Spirits of Sorrow had peacefully withered into non existence; marking an end to their suffering and the power of the Anger Spirits.
But oblivious to their own existential crisis, the Anger Spirits continued to burn through the world in a haze of infernal temper, ravaging lands, boiling rivers and razing entire cities to the ground in the span of a few hours. They killed man and monster alike until with nothing to fuel them on, they burned themselves into nothingness.
And thus, with his final act of service, Ed had managed to purge the world of the Emotion Spirits. He knew that in time new spirits would replace the ones lost, and the world would get over the blazing inferno that had threatened their extinction, once more going back to its old ways and waiting for another worthy king to lead them into Joy and Happiness.
Ed's loyalists had found his body near the lake and soon after the people built a beautiful mausoleum around it. Throughout the kingdom statues were erected and stories shared of Ed's valor and Greatness. None knew all that had come to pass in the end, but they knew enough stories of Ed for his praises to survive the test of time, past years and centuries into the bedtime stories of a little boy with a heart that shone golden when he was happy.
Why was Woeland magical you ask? Because these dolls in Woeland were of all types and varieties, defying any logic known to the men of our world, some were dark, some shone bright, some weakly made dolls crumbled in an instant only to reappear in perfect shape in an entirely different instance, and the dolls of some very vicious people was said to be able to change shape, size and hue as easily as the dryads changed trees. The magic of the dolls and the abilities of the people carrying them, made Woeland the most magical place there ever was. But little Ed had no doll of his own, because he was just a boy, not a grown up man yet. But he always dreamed of dolls, and wanted a special one.
Because every night under the moonlight, in the cool calm winds of Woeland, Ed's grandmother would tell him stories of great kings in the past who had dolls as rigid and unchanging as the stone, and as beautiful as the falling waterfalls, enchanting anyone and everyone around them. Ed would hear in wonder the stories of the exploits of these great kings that possessed the most marvelous dolls men in Woeland had ever seen, and wonder in awe if those stories were true. And when the stories were done, and after his grandmother would kiss him goodnight, he would curl up in her arms and dream of the kings and their beautiful dolls.
And every night, a beautiful smile would play on his lips and his heart would shine bright through the sky, as he slept peacefully in his grandmother's arms, dreaming of the dead kings conquering hearts far and wide in their time, by the unwavering magic of their dolls. But come morning a dull ache for such a perfect doll would creep into his heart and its shine would simmer down under the rays of the beautiful morning sun. He yearned to be great like the kings and be known through all of Woeland, forever like the kings.
So, when he was 16 years old, Ed packed his bags and leaving his grandmother behind, left for the Workshop of Wonders, the best and the most magical workshop in all of Woeland. All the best dolls in the land were said to be made by the alumnus of this workshop. The workshop was a world unto itself. Large acres of land sprawling with infrastructural monstrosities, teeming with people of different ages seeking inspiration, knowledge and wisdom- slowly working their way to building their dolls.
And there Ed set to work, reading books and learning the necessary arts and crafts. For two years Ed prepared himself and after months of rigorous training under the most glorious masters, when he was finally ready, he set to work on his doll. And a fortnight later, when the masters checked up on him, they told him his doll was turning out to be really promising and it might well be the best Woeland had seen in a long time. This was no surprise for Ed, because ever since he was a kid, he had built himself in the image of his heroes, and a doll was supposed to be a true representation of its master. But even then, it was nowhere near the dolls of legends that he dreamt of. So he closed himself in his workroom and went to work on his doll through day and night, he forgot the passing suns and the phasing moons and after a month inside, the doll was still not done. Each day he would seek out a weakness in the doll and then set to rebuilding it, just as he built and rebuilt himself in the desired image. and so this continued. He sweated through the summers and shivered through the winters, always working on his beloved doll and come spring, it was finally done.
He opened the doors of his work room and called on his masters. Curious as cats, they rushed into the workroom, followed by people unknown to Ed, for in the time Ed was cooped up in the workroom word had spread of a man trying to build a doll of legends in the Workshop of Wonders, and anyone who had heard of that rumor had come rushing in wanting to see it for themselves. So they all assembled in the workroom as many as could fit while many that were slow still waited outside.
'Did u really make it?' His masters asked him. In response Edward unveiled his doll to everyone present, smiling happily and puffing up his chest in pride. His heart shone as bright as the sun that day, bathing everyone in its golden light- he was the happiest man alive.
Everyone crooned when they saw the beauty of the doll and the masters looked at him in awe. Nobody could believe what they saw. Such had been its workmanship that he had surpassed the kings that were his inspiration. The doll seemed magical even to the denizens of Woeland. It looked different with different perspectives. To someone in need of guidance, the doll seemed thoughtful and wise, to the lonely heart it was warm and welcoming, to the troublemakers it seemed to be stern and punishing and to the kids it always seemed playful. Yet everyone that saw it realized this doll was unchanging, it was the observer's eyes doing the magic, owing to the trick of workmanship. It was everything good anyone wanted it to be, but the observer could only see what he/she wanted it to be. It was genius of a kind that Woeland had not witnessed in more than a millenia.
But it was more than genius, it was sheer skill, desire and willpower made into being and infused with knowledge of the highest order, that of people and their understanding. It was the very core of what Ed had shaped himself into. And only the honorable and truly wise could begin to grasp the complexity of the doll even to a significant extent, for such a doll was never seen by any living soul and nobody truly understood what was unseen. But everyone was awed by it and pulled towards it, for in it they saw the truth in the stories of the past, and it rekindled a hope for a time of men of stature and for rulers capable of greatness.
***
As was expected, Ed soon became king of the world and found a beautiful bride whose doll, shone of compassion, love and joy. He was happier than he ever was and the kingdom basked under the glow of his splendid heart made better by the company he kept- of trusted friends and family. With everyone behind him, Ed was unstoppable. He was like the Superman of Woeland. He performed wonders and achieved greatness of God-like levels. But his most talked of achievement was the taming of the Spirits of Emotions.
Before his coronation, when he was travelling the world, basking in its beauty and glory he had encountered and tamed the spirits of emotions. The emotion spirits were beings of pure energy manifest in Woeland, in the nature of particular emotions.
He first encountered the emotion spirits of anger in a village leagues north of the Workshop of Wonders. Though few, the spirits were capable of great feats, and they grew in strength and numbers as they fed on the anger and sorrow of the people.
As Ed set down his backpack to face these demons of fire, he was warned by some people cowering in fear-
'Beware the spirits! They change you, and you become their pawn. None have withstood their effect on human minds.'
But Ed knew who he was, a testament to integrity, a result of years of hard work; unchanging, unwavering and true to himself. He sought out the spirits and tried to reason with them, and when that failed he fought with them. It is said for fourteen days he dueled the demons of temper, seeking to control and tame the pure energy of fury with sheer willpower. The people watched and prayed as Ed and the spirits stood frozen against each other for those fourteen days, each seeking to overpower the other. By the 15th day Ed had realized that a source of power existed for the anger spirits, consistently fuelling their rage and power. There was no defeating them like this. So Ed resigned and the spirits unleashed themselves over the village once again with monstrous rage.
To the dismay of the villagers Ed prepared to leave, for he planned to find the source and cut off its supply to the anger spirits.They saw hope in one that was yet unchanged by the spirits and they begged him not to leave as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Ed tried to tell them he was not abandoning them but the desperate naive souls could not trust him, and they bound him to a pillar and gagged him until nightfall, when they carried him to the Village Square and abandoned him in the midst of angry spirits hoping he would manage to calm the spirits and save his own skin, or at least theirs. The spirits on finding him tied and helpless attacked him with rage tempered anew. They burned him harsh and with it the bonds that tied him. Finding no shame, Ed fled the village and the spirits under the cover of the night that cloaked him by God's Grace.
But the thought of protecting the villagers had not left him. They were desperate for an end to their misery, and so what they did was forgiven. He searched the lands around the village for the spirits of Sorrow and Frustration that must justify the presence of the anger spirits. He found them under the rocks, in the trees and on top of a hill. He gathered the spirits and talked to them for these were not beyond reason. To put an end to their misery, Ed offered them asylum inside his doll of beauty and forever promised them his company.
'Solitude is poison, company does us good. So we shall leave this land and reside in your doll. But be warned, if you despair, more shall join us within your doll. Is that agreeable to you?' They asked Ed.
He agreed and they honored his wish.Thus were the anger spirits cut off from the very source of their power. Ed returned to the village with raised hopes and this time managed to tame the anger spirits and calm them down into tranquil spirits of Peace.
And so was the first quest of our Little Ed completed, putting him onto a path to become the ruler of Woeland. This was followed by an array of quests that Ed undertook himself and he dealt with all the spirits of emotions that sought to destroy the land. He calmed the oceans of restlessness and anxiety, and then drove fear out of the nights, only to be faced with the spirits of jealousy which he quickly put to rest with his humility. And when all this was done, he travelled to the eastern edges of Woeland where the land met the sky and there he found the Spirits of joy and Good times gleefully staying away from all that sought to hamper them. He brought them to his kingdom and for a while all was well once again.
***
But all good times must come to an end. And so was the fate of Woeland.
Soon after their marriage came the initial signs of trouble when the now queen of Woeland failed to handle the pressure and responsibilities of this newfound life. Ed travelled far and wide in his quest to maintain peace and prosperity of his kingdom, and on such instances it fell on the queen to rule the land. But not everyone was cut out for such life and soon her loving and compassionate self started eroding to be replaced by irritable and unreasonable behavior. This darkened matters both in Ed's personal life and their kingdom. Her doll began to lose its charm and upon realizing the deteriorating state of matters, Ed suspended all his future quests to stay and help his loving wife.
This did not improve matters for the queen because Ed was not just the king, but also a man in need of love. So now she found her hands full with multiple responsibilities, to her kingdom, to her king, and a certain level to herself. The queen refused to learn to juggle between her responsibilities in a healthy way. To put it honestly, she could not, she was too caught up in her own web of importance, as the queen she had found a sense of purpose in her responsibilities. And for this reason Ed feared giving her up to her life as the Queen meant losing her for good.
Though deep down somewhere her heart yearned to be more than just the Queen too. But in being the Queen she had lost sight of the important things in life. As is often the case, the path to self destruction is one that fuels and sustains itself unless the person on it takes hard measures to step off, often at a price. And any change to her life risked some aspect of her responsibilities as the Queen, and that she could not afford.
In her wholehearted attempts to make things better for her husband while having to sacrifice nothing, she achieved very little apart from Ed's dissatisfaction. Even when Ed listened to her and tried to keep his demands low, her hard work always fell short of Ed's satisfaction.
He tried to help her the best he could but Ed's ways and solutions demanded an attitude that was not easily learned and imbibed in oneself. And so it never made sense to the Queen and she forever felt helpless with the increasing difficulty of matters. This combined with her guilt of keeping her King unhappy frustrated her immensely.
And thus things got out of hand, happily married became a struggle to keep things right. And soon, fights escalated and the queen threatened to leave the king. Ed weeped this change of heart in his queen. And the fact that he could do nothing to fix things, made matters worse for him. All his perfection, his integrity and wisdom was all for naught, for nothing could change as long as the Queen did not see the error of her ways. The more Ed struggled to set things right, the further he pushed his queen away and their life together soured. And as this continued the management of the kingdom's affairs worsened.
Four years into their marriage, on the summer morning of Ed's infamous Dragon Quest, his manservant walked into his Armory with a letter from the Queen. Ed held it to the shaft of sunlight coming in through the east windows and was faintly conscious of the dust motes swirling around his hands as he read through the letter. It was a farewell letter. The Queen's frustration had finally gotten the better of her and she had decided giving up was the best course of action.
'Where is my queen?' Ed asked his manservant.
'Left sire.'
'Where to?'
"Nobody knows, your majesty. She left in the dark of the night. The letter addressed to you was on her bed this morning.'
Keeping his head held high Ed nodded to his servant and he left his king alone.
Alone Ed was finally conscious of the dust motes swirling around in the sunrays as if in tandem to some unknown law of nature. He was suddenly aware of the futility of his life. Something inside his very core was shattered, a belief in people and their promises, a belief in long lasting love. As he watched the dust motes swirling he noticed the air in front of him shimmer into life. A Sorrow spirit was born, it stared at Ed for a moment, before heading into his doll resting on a table at his side. Head in his hands, Ed fell to his knees and the doll thrummed as more and more spirits added to the numbers inside.
Then Ed, the Great conqueror of Woes, crumpled in a heap as he wept over the final shred of love once most treasured. And this was how Ed was later found by Ronald, the Commander of his knights- crouching on the floor in a puddle of his own tears, silent, red eyed and pale faced.
That afternoon Ed set off for the lair of the Dragon kind with his knights and personal guard, despite vehement opposition against the same. He sought what little semblance of peace he could find in keeping himself busy and going. The lair was a day's ride out of the limits of Ed's capital city and after riding them hard for the remainder of the sunlight hours, Ed finally let his men set camp for the night a few hours past nightfall beside lake Narogad of old.
While his men busied themselves around the campsite, Ed pushed his horse into a jog around the shore until he came upon a wooden pier, now derelict and somewhat rotten. He could faintly hear the noises of his men prepping the campsite as he dismounted his horse. A look in the direction of the campsite confirmed they were lost behind an outgrowth of trees growing close to the pier; he was alone now. He stepped onto the pier and slowly walked to the edge of it and gazed upon the vast stillness of the lake that stretched ahead of him far into the night. A deep melancholy settled onto him as he watched the surface of the water rippling with the gentle wind that swept through his hair now. Alone, away from prying eyes Ed let go of his kingly demeanor and his shoulder slouched under the weight of his sorrow. Memories of a long lost past trickled into his mind and tears in turn flooded his eyes.
The doll in his coat pockets thrummed stronger as the tears rolled down his cheeks. It was then that Ed committed his greatest folly. In a desperate bid to feel better, he summoned the spirits of Joy and amongst shaking sobs embraced them, hoping their gleeful energy would cure his broken heart. But such was his gloom, his despondence that instead, the spirits withered and faded into nothingness under his touch. Eyes wet, he looked down at his reflection in the moonlight. His heart darker than a moonless night, he vowed he was done with everything to do with the kingship that lost him his wife. This quest would be his last.
Precisely then, he heard the sound of quick footfalls on the pier, he turned around a moment too late and the sword went through his gut. His eyes widened in shock and surprise as he saw his killer's face.
'Why?' He managed to ask in a pained whisper.
'A coup of course!' said Ronald, twisting his sword further into Ed's gut 'The queen, is taking over.'
Realization dawned on Ed as he spewed blood onto the hilt of his impaler's sword. His gaze swept over to all the other knights watching nonchalantly behind Ronald, before it came back to rest on his grinning face. With a grunt he withdrew his sword and pushed Ed into the water. Ed groaned and as he fell backwards, he felt his doll crack and shatter in his coat. With blazing heat all the trapped spirits of sorrow issued forth along with an army of fiery anger spirits.
Ed heard Ronald's frightened shriek a moment before his body hit the water and he smiled inwardly before the water rushed over his face and his body kicked into reflex, lunging forward and gasping for air. It was only after he had swallowed some water and choked that his years of swimming experience kicked in. A fiery burning filled his wound and pain flared all across his abdomen. He managed to swim to the shore and with gritted teeth, groaning and crying he dragged himself out of the water and flopped onto the sandy shore of Lake Narogad.
For a while he lay there panting, with each gulp of air a fresh bout of pain seared across his flesh. Ed tried to shake off the pain and clear his head. He looked about, there was an unholy silence about him and he knew with certainty all his killers were dead. But all was not well. It was a mistake keeping the sorrow spirits in his doll. His company kept their misery in check, but his sorrow only added to their numbers, giving birth to the anger spirits until his doll could not take it anymore. And now an army of it had unleashed itself upon the world and would destroy it if left unchecked. He knew what must be done now, but did the people deserve it, two faced as they were?
The events of the day replayed in his head and he felt betrayed and broken. The actions of his loved and trusted ones had crushed his belief in people altogether and he regretted his life of service.
If this was the reality of people, did they deserve a saviour?
He had conquered evil with sheer grit and skill, spreading light through the darkest of nights for the people to follow. In his time, he had managed to bring Joy, Peace and Prosperity to the world by being an abiding pillar of righteousness and honor. Had he been like the others, he would not have won over the spirits and the people, they would have him consumed or twisted long before he tamed them.
But who had he struggled so hard for?
He fished his doll out of his pocket and gazed upon its flawless face. Broken and shattered into pieces- from the neck below, it still smiled at him. Ed smiled back at the doll and his heart felt a little lighter. The doll reminded him of the kings of old and he felt a familiar sense of longing creep back into his heart. He thought back to his nights as a child so many years ago, under the same star studded sky, in the arms of his loving grandmother. His Grandmother, Ed remembered with a pang of regret, was someone that deserved saving. Her fading presence was a shining beacon of hope for Ed and proof enough of a world worth fighting for. He knew now the world must be saved; and he knew why.
Ignoring the pain flashing across his abdomen, Ed set his doll onto the blood smeared sand beside him with a grunt. He unsheathed his dagger and paused for a moment considering what he was about to do. He could survive this if he wanted, but by the time he recovered enough to tame the spirits, the world would have succumbed to the chaotic fire, if it hadn't already. There was only one way to end this. He had to cut the anger spirits from the source of their power and hope the people would be strong enough to do the rest.
Ed sighed as another wave of gentle breeze swept over him. He gazed at the star studded sky and took a moment to thank his Grandmother for all those stories she told him so long ago. He was who he was because of her. And now who he was must come to an end, like the kings of his stories it was time for him to leave this world and pass into legend. As he lifted the dagger high above him, a new found hope crept into his heart, and it glowed golden once more before the plunging dagger drained the life from it.
In his final moments Ed believed his life would inspire a worthy king to replace him just like the kings before him had inspired him. He found a purpose in his passing and hoped such a king would protect the world for he knew now all was not wrong with it, there was good that sought to flourish and bewitch the world with its wonderful bright hues of joy and kindness. There was good signified by people like his grandmother that deserved saving and protecting, for it was only in their upkeep and subsistence that the world would find the joy that would disambiguate its existence. He understood in his final moments, that all the good in the world was the act of kind souls who acted selflessly. So all the negativity could wait for now, it was time now for his happy ending.
The glow slowly ebbed from his heart, and Ed finally slipped into a deep slumber- forgetting all his pain and sorrow; finding his well deserved peace. And so he slept, the great king of Woeland, peacefully for ever after.
Epilogue
In their time with him, the spirits of Sorrow had bonded with Ed and his emotions. And as Ed's life force had slipped into the after-world, the Spirits of Sorrow had peacefully withered into non existence; marking an end to their suffering and the power of the Anger Spirits.
But oblivious to their own existential crisis, the Anger Spirits continued to burn through the world in a haze of infernal temper, ravaging lands, boiling rivers and razing entire cities to the ground in the span of a few hours. They killed man and monster alike until with nothing to fuel them on, they burned themselves into nothingness.
And thus, with his final act of service, Ed had managed to purge the world of the Emotion Spirits. He knew that in time new spirits would replace the ones lost, and the world would get over the blazing inferno that had threatened their extinction, once more going back to its old ways and waiting for another worthy king to lead them into Joy and Happiness.
Ed's loyalists had found his body near the lake and soon after the people built a beautiful mausoleum around it. Throughout the kingdom statues were erected and stories shared of Ed's valor and Greatness. None knew all that had come to pass in the end, but they knew enough stories of Ed for his praises to survive the test of time, past years and centuries into the bedtime stories of a little boy with a heart that shone golden when he was happy.
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