He got rid of his old attire, no longer finding need in the decorated buckskins and headdresses. Nor the old jewelry he used to wear. Gold held no appeal for him now.

But he kept the feathers.

The two groups of three feathers fastened together that lay on each side of his head, framing his face. These he could not bear to live without.

They were a reminder.

To a lesser extent, a reminder that he was once a great nation rightfully feared in its own way.

But that is not why he kept them.

He held onto them because, in his mind, they were a link to his family. Or what they used to be.
They'd grown apart now. Something he is saddened by. Though he'll never admit it, preferring to hide his negative emotions in favor of a smile and a laugh.

What good would wishing for the past do?

Experience had taught him the answer: nothing.

Yet he still lived with hope in his heart. Hope that, one day, his family could be whole again. That they could laugh and cry and hope together.

He knew, somewhere in far corner of his mind, that this hope may turn out to be empty, but he shoves that thought aside and hopes anyway. Dwelling on sad thoughts was not something he took practice in, he would rather look for the brighter side of the picture.

And that is why he kept the feathers. They gave him hope. They let him see the light in the darkness of the world. They helped him to hold on to his dream of seeing his family once more.

And who knows? Perhaps his wasn't a hollow hope after all.....

[if anyone is curious this is about my OC 2p!Aztec (Itzli)]