Au - "Ida Walked Away"

The Cloud King. His horrible reign of eons upon the skies. He shed the blood of millions of his own people to feed the mouths of the earthlings below. It was much told amongst the clouds that he hated his own people, that he was weak, and that he loved the petty earthlings below much more than even his fellow clouds. In a sense it was true, The Cloud King did feel a tenderness towards the people of Earth, though it was true he could live without them. The King in fact felt a duty to the plants, somewhere in his cloud heart he knew he needed the plants, and they needed him. So he would slay his cloud subjects, mostly the fattest and darkest, quietly and always from behind. He would come up behind, while they were gorging themselves on steam, smile in their ear, and slide his blade deep into their belly. He would sometimes hold them in his arms as their life emptied out below. He told himself he took no pleasure in this.

Eventually The Cloud King could not escape his own reputation. Tired of killing, he wanted to stop, but knew he couldn't. He instead chose a young cloud, a beautiful young cirrus, long legs and long eyes, and fell deeply and glacially in love. He silently swore protection on her, and felt comforted knowing somewhere in world there would always be one cloud that would never rain. However, no matter how much he told her of his love, she did not seem moved. He was The Cloud King, slayer of millions, and he had chosen her, and yet she only smiled with one side of her mouth and looked down at the ocean. He was embarrassed, humiliated, and looked around at his subjects. They all, as usual, cowered in fear. Ah, fear, yes. And the King threw his blade in the South Pacific, you can still find it in there if you try, and opened his arms for his love to come to him, a changed man, a man of peace, of love. But instead, she floated away, slowly, patiently, with ease and with grace. For what else could a cloud really do?

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