It's late into the evening, many travelers had gotten together to camp and, seeing Wraithvine and hir companions, invited them to join the encampment for the evening. A warm fire, plenty of spare tents, food, and smiles. Several children run up to Wraithvine and the others and beg for a story before it's time for bed. -- Anon Guest
"Oh don't bother the great Wizard," said one of the parents. "They've got a destiny to fulfill."
"If it's a destiny without stories, I'd rather not," said Wraithvine. "It's been a long time since I told children stories." Ze smiled for all the eager little faces turned towards hir. "All right. Get comfortable and listen..."
Once upon a time...
The sky was dark at night. The only celestial bodies to guide the people of the lands below were the sun and the moon. Fire walked upon the lands, too, and showed the early people what was near. But Fire wanted more.
Fire, you see, was fascinated by the black of the sky. What could be up there, she wondered. Was there more beyond the moon? What might it be like to dance in the infinite blackness? Was it cold, there? Or was it warm? Was it deadly like Water, or could it push her forward like Wind?
And further, where did it hide the sun when the night came? Where did it hide the moon? She had had glimpses of the colours of the sky when the sun rose or set, and the people lit her little children, and wondered why the sky did it.
What made the sun so special?
She leaped and jumped and strove to reach the sky and ask it, but to no avail. She could not jump that high. Not even from the tallest mountain with Wind to push her as hard as ze could.
That did not stop her trying.
"Sky," she yelled as she leaped and danced. "Tell me your secrets! Why do you hide your colours at night? Where do you hide the sun and the moon? Why won't you say anything?"
Sky was shocked to hear anyone ask him questions, and came a little closer to the lands. Just a little closer to the tallest mountain. "Nobody has asked me anything," Sky whispered. "Nobody has said a word. Not since I loved Earth and we made all the creatures and things together."
"Well I'm asking you now. Why are you so dull when I dance on the lands and the people need me? Why hide your colours when I am put out to nearly nothing?"
"The sun has stolen all the colours to make the rainbow," whispered Sky. "But perhaps you can help me. I have wanted to create more things, but I cannot create on my own. Will you come and dance in my blackness? Will you leave little children to be a part of me in the night?"
Fire leaped at the chance. How could she not? Sky had seen her dancing in the night and knew she loved little else. So Sky took her hand and danced with her in the endless black, until the sun came once more to show colour in the world.
Sure enough, the next night, Sky was bedecked with a million little lights. Everywhere that she had danced, there was a patch of light. Not enough to ever stop her dancing, of course, but more than enough to make Sky fascinating to the people below.
Some of those lights made pictures, and pictures made stories, and the people of the lands gathered around Fire to tell them.
She sends her children up, even now, do you see? And if you are very still, and very watchful, you might see one of her children come down to visit her.
"Of course that is not the end of things," said Wraithvine, hir audience now fast asleep. "It is merely another change in the greater parade of change."
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / benwehrman]
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