The moon lit up the dark sky over the small isle. A luminous orb that shone over the harbor facility off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It sparkled on the blue waters below, casting some light into the dark shadows that surrounded the base.
Against the silver moonlight, a silhouette appeared. It was the famous Solid Snake, once again on a mission under orders of Philanthropy to once again take part in the eradication of a Metal Gear unit.
Snake walked out of the water and onto the shoreline where he removed his air mask. He was dressed in his usual blue sneaking suit with the navy blue bandana flowing behind him. The bandana was worn and tattered from its frequent use, but Snake wore it anyway. It reminded him of someone…someone who…
He scanned the surrounding area and saw no sentries, so he made his way towards the base. The mission seemed to be proceeding well so far… no confrontations…yet. His thoughts were wandering off and thinking about other things… other people. No, not just people. A person. A woman.
Something interrupted his thoughts. A few feet away there stood a little girl in the midst of everything. She was wearing a light blue dress with a sailors’ type collar and white scarf.
Snake stopped and stared. She sensed his presence and turned to look at him. She had an innocent face that glowed with a small smile upon her lips. Must’ve been only 5 or 6 years old at the most. She had long red hair that was kept neatly under a blue headband that she wore.
Neither moved. She just stood there looking at him. Snake cringed. It made him feel uneasy, having a little girl stare at him. What the hell was she doing here, anyway?
The girl finally kneeled down to a patch of wildflowers nearby and picked one, then slowly made her way over to where Snake was standing. She slowly lifted the flower up to Snake. She was half his size.
Close up, the girl was very pale, faded almost. Her cheeks had the slightest bit of rosy blush to them. She motioned again for Snake to take the flower. “Here.” She said in a tiny voice. “I picked this for you.”
“Uh- thanks…” Snake said and took the flower she offered to him.
“Are you sad?” She asked curiously and tipped her head to the side.
“No…should I be?” He quirked an eyebrow. What did she want anyway? Why was she even here?
“You look sad. Aren’t you thinking of someone?” She smiled.
“No.” He lied.
“I think you are!” She giggled.
“What are you doing here-?”
“It’s a girl isn’t it?” She suddenly looked sad.
Snake kneeled down to look her in the eyes. “Yeah. It is.”
She could see not just a little, but a lot of sadness in his eyes. She gingerly put her small hands on his face and gave him a light kiss on his forehead.
“Please don’t be sad. Here.” She lifted something out of her front pocket. It was a brand-new bandana.
“Why?” He was curious. How did she know he needed a new one? This girl was strange.
She giggled again. No answer. She suddenly stopped as if she had realized something. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I must get back home to Papa! He will be calling for me soon!”
“Huh?”
Her cheeks lit up on her pale face. “Yes. Home to meet Papa. He’s training be to become a soldier you know!”
“Wha-?”
“Uh-huh! And then…” her voice trailed off as she put her hands behind her back, “I can fight with heroes like you!”
He was amazed. Too familiar. Way too familiar. Familiar like…
“Okay, well I have to go now.” She said in a happy tone. “Please cheer up!” She turned around to start walking away when he asked, “What’s your name?” It couldn’t possibly be…
She looked behind her shoulder slightly at him with a thoughtful look. “Name? My friends call me Mey, but…” She turned and began to skip towards the shore. “My real name is Meerrryylll…” Her voice droned off into the crashes of the waves.
Snake stood there in astonishment. She couldn’t have said what he thought she said. Coincidence. Move on. He turned back around towards the facility and started walking, then stopped. He looked down at the items he carried in his hands, then continued on towards the base once again. He let the wind carry away his solitary tear that slid down his cheek. The tear that came from thinking of her. Move on, Snake…just keep moving on, He told himself.
He turned around one last time. His eyes widened. The girl was gone… but where? There was clear shoreline from here and no places to hide or… nevermind. Don’t think about it. Just don’t, He thought and continued on.
The little girl stood at the edge of the waves watching him until he finally arrived at the facility entrance. She then turned around skipping into the waves singing a song:
A man once met
A butterfly,
He was all alone
`till she came by.
Thought to herself:
I’ll help this man,
so he won’t cry,
and then I’ll say good-bye.
Fly away over the deep blue sea,
fluttering on powdered wings.
Hope that he’ll remember,
the song of the butterfly.
She skipped into the ocean and faded into the air, humming the soft tune of a butterfly.