The Last Angel Lily
There once was a particular man, who cared for a particular field of a very particular flower, the Angel lily. These were a magic flower, they needed no sustenance to survive. They needed only love, and in turn they would sustain the caregiver with life force. The man loved his field of flowers, and they gave him the will to live. The man had everything he ever needed to be happy, and he was happy, for a time.
Eventually he started to become lonely, “What use is happiness,” he said, “if I have no one to share it with?” So he began to invite others into his field, to share his joy with them. And again, he was happy, for a time.
Then one by one, the people who he invited into his sanctuary, began to leave. This he could not bare, and so, he turned some of his love away from his flowers, and toward the people who would leave without it. And they stayed, for a time.
Slowly his flowers began to wither, because he had given so much of his love to these other people. As they withered so too did the happiness in the field. And the people began to leave again, and with them they took his love.
Many of the flowers died then, and when he finally realized what was happening, and began to turn what little love he had left back to them, he only had enough love left for one. One single solitary Angel lily remained. The man was devastated by this loss, and vowed to never let this last lily die.
Every so often people would come to the field in search of the legendary angel lilies, and the man, afraid of what might happen to his last precious lily, chased them away. He began to build walls, to keep them out, barriers against those who would destroy his last small bit of love.
The walls became a fortress, and the fortress a castle. And the castle a tower, and within dwelt the man and his angel lily. Others began to forget about angel lilies, and stories about the tower began to seep into their minds. Some said the tower was home to an evil wizard. Others thought it was haunted, and still others curious of what lay within would venture forth to find out.
Always the man would chase them away, and always he would refortify his walls. He spent his days tending to his lily, and watching the world far below from high atop his tower. Years went by, the man grew old. The lily however remained preserved, his love for it never wavering. He was lonely yes, very lonely, but he could not risk loving another person again. He could not let the last angel lily die, and he was not happy, because he refused to let his happiness destroy this, the last angel lily.
After a time, the man died, and with his passing, so too did the last angel lily. No one mourned his death, no one mourned the loss of the magical angel lily, because no one knew. The tower began to decay and erode as the long years rolled on. Eventually all that remained was an old ruin that time forgot.
One fateful day, a traveler chanced by. He was young, full of hope, and love. He took shelter from a storm in the ruin, and slept in its warmth on the ground. As he awoke the next morning, he did so with the sun blaring in his eyes. He was laying in a field, full of angel lilies. He stayed and cared for them. And he had everything he ever needed to be happy, and he was happy, for a time.