Sight
The white Acara sat meditatively on the edge of the cliff. The wind whipped through her fur, ruffling it carelessly, but the Acara was unperturbed. She was as still as a statue and not all the forces of nature would move her now. She looked out across the rolling moors, seeing much that others could not. She often sat like that, simply watching. The grass was flattened into a circle, growing around the Acara's space, reserving her spot.
Even in the silence, there was still sound. The moors themselves hummed, the grasses rustled. If you took the time to listen, you could hear life itself. Or so it was said. And this Acara did not merely take the time, as much as give it. She was not constrained by other pets' limitations or by Neopia itself. She was freer than anyone else in the world - and she sat still, as if bound to her place.
Suddenly, the spell was broken. The Acara twisted her head round sharply. She had seen them coming from far, far away but she now wished to face them. Her eyes pierced the moor itself and she folded her paws and began to wait. She waited not with the peace of before but a kind of energy that was not shown by the Acara but almost by the air itself. Time seemed to speed up. The Acara sat there waiting for the travellers for two hours; the travellers spent two days reaching her.
Eventually, two pets crested the ridge. There was a white-coated Lupe and a grey Gelert - both were eager and young. They approached the Acara slowly and respectfully, concealing their impatience as best they could. She did not turn around - she had known they were there for so long that she had moved on. She danced between the past and future, only stopping briefly in the present. But such terms can hardly be applied to her - she doesn't control time; she just lives outside it.
The duo stood there in silence. The wind cut through their fur and they shivered in unison. Finally, the Lupe spoke.
"Um."
Not exactly the best first impression but would could you say to one like her?
The Acara turned slowly.
"Tell me why you are here."
She already knew their reason; she already knew how they would answer.
"We are here to seek knowledge," said the Gelert proudly.
"I know nothing," announced the Acara. "You are wasting your time here," she stated matter-of-factly. She watched time rush past them, blurring their outlines.
The Lupe opened his mouth to retort but the Gelert spoke first, quietly.
"Knowing nothing is the most important thing."
The Acara nodded.
"You are right. It is important to know nothing, for nothing is at the heart of everything."
The Lupe nodded too but he could not resist questioning the Acara.
"Is it true you don't get old? And know everything? And always sit here? And."
The Acara held up her paw to silence him. There was a moment of quiet, when time seemed to stretch out and then snap back like an elastic band, a moment that was very long and very short. The Acara spoke and it seemed as if Neopia spoke with her.
"What is truth? It is subjective or fantasy - as lies are also. No one can know everything - what is knowing, after all? And is here always here? Not every question has an answer, or needs one. I see the question lying at your hearts and I can answer it - but why?"
"We need to know!"
The Gelert spoke urgently.
"You may or may not. I will not tell you yes or no. I have seen many futures. Time is like water - the future may run a different course if it hits an unexpected stone, or follow the same well worn path." The Acara paused, for a couple of eternities.
"Sometimes, the right one can stand outside the stream and look down and forward and back. And the stream will rush around it."
The young Neopets were awed. They suddenly realised how much the Acara must know or see.
"You are that one?" the Lupe asked.
"I am," the Acara conceded.
"You must see so much." the Gelert trailed off. "What can you see?"
The Acara not only saw - she smelt, felt, heard, tasted.
She sensed. She watched the glittering stream of time, of the little lives that made it up. She watched the river roar past and saw it extend behind her. But the source of the river could not be divined still. She looked forward and there was no end.yet. She saw all the universe, she saw life in its eternal dance, she saw almost all.
She turned to the Neopets and solemnly opened her mouth.
"I can see your house from up here."
The white Acara sat meditatively on the edge of the cliff. The wind whipped through her fur, ruffling it carelessly, but the Acara was unperturbed. She was as still as a statue and not all the forces of nature would move her now. She looked out across the rolling moors, seeing much that others could not. She often sat like that, simply watching. The grass was flattened into a circle, growing around the Acara's space, reserving her spot.
Even in the silence, there was still sound. The moors themselves hummed, the grasses rustled. If you took the time to listen, you could hear life itself. Or so it was said. And this Acara did not merely take the time, as much as give it. She was not constrained by other pets' limitations or by Neopia itself. She was freer than anyone else in the world - and she sat still, as if bound to her place.
Suddenly, the spell was broken. The Acara twisted her head round sharply. She had seen them coming from far, far away but she now wished to face them. Her eyes pierced the moor itself and she folded her paws and began to wait. She waited not with the peace of before but a kind of energy that was not shown by the Acara but almost by the air itself. Time seemed to speed up. The Acara sat there waiting for the travellers for two hours; the travellers spent two days reaching her.
Eventually, two pets crested the ridge. There was a white-coated Lupe and a grey Gelert - both were eager and young. They approached the Acara slowly and respectfully, concealing their impatience as best they could. She did not turn around - she had known they were there for so long that she had moved on. She danced between the past and future, only stopping briefly in the present. But such terms can hardly be applied to her - she doesn't control time; she just lives outside it.
The duo stood there in silence. The wind cut through their fur and they shivered in unison. Finally, the Lupe spoke.
"Um."
Not exactly the best first impression but would could you say to one like her?
The Acara turned slowly.
"Tell me why you are here."
She already knew their reason; she already knew how they would answer.
"We are here to seek knowledge," said the Gelert proudly.
"I know nothing," announced the Acara. "You are wasting your time here," she stated matter-of-factly. She watched time rush past them, blurring their outlines.
The Lupe opened his mouth to retort but the Gelert spoke first, quietly.
"Knowing nothing is the most important thing."
The Acara nodded.
"You are right. It is important to know nothing, for nothing is at the heart of everything."
The Lupe nodded too but he could not resist questioning the Acara.
"Is it true you don't get old? And know everything? And always sit here? And."
The Acara held up her paw to silence him. There was a moment of quiet, when time seemed to stretch out and then snap back like an elastic band, a moment that was very long and very short. The Acara spoke and it seemed as if Neopia spoke with her.
"What is truth? It is subjective or fantasy - as lies are also. No one can know everything - what is knowing, after all? And is here always here? Not every question has an answer, or needs one. I see the question lying at your hearts and I can answer it - but why?"
"We need to know!"
The Gelert spoke urgently.
"You may or may not. I will not tell you yes or no. I have seen many futures. Time is like water - the future may run a different course if it hits an unexpected stone, or follow the same well worn path." The Acara paused, for a couple of eternities.
"Sometimes, the right one can stand outside the stream and look down and forward and back. And the stream will rush around it."
The young Neopets were awed. They suddenly realised how much the Acara must know or see.
"You are that one?" the Lupe asked.
"I am," the Acara conceded.
"You must see so much." the Gelert trailed off. "What can you see?"
The Acara not only saw - she smelt, felt, heard, tasted.
She sensed. She watched the glittering stream of time, of the little lives that made it up. She watched the river roar past and saw it extend behind her. But the source of the river could not be divined still. She looked forward and there was no end.yet. She saw all the universe, she saw life in its eternal dance, she saw almost all.
She turned to the Neopets and solemnly opened her mouth.
"I can see your house from up here."