Disclaimer: This had to be written in 1500 words or less. I made it to exactly 1500 words. Cutting it close again! Also, the names are anagrams of Fareeha and Angela.
The sound of the river flowing through the earth was calming, the water clearer than glass. The trees were rustling musically, the wind caressing each branch languidly. The birds were singing a song of peace, no strife or sorrow in sight. Here, there was an air of tranquility written in the very folds of reality. Here, she was happy.
"Commander Era Feah." A smile plays at her lips, hearing the woman say her name from behind.
"What is it, Lady Galane?" She felt the wind shift as the ethereal woman took a seat beside her. The wind around them began to still and the birds became silent, as if this moment was too sacred to interrupt. She rested her head in her hand, facing the Lady, and watched her intently as she adjusted her iridescent cloak. She was a figure of beauty, her body looking like it was made up entirely of white moonstones. Her face was in the shape of a heart, beating in time with the rotation of the solar system. Her lips were plump, and whenever she spoke, it was like chords on a harp. Her eyes were like star sapphires, reflecting the warmth of the sun wherever she graced her gaze upon. Her hair was like a curtain of waterlily petals, constantly flowing with the wind. No matter the beauty that Galane had within her palm, Era Feah knew the burden with which the Lady carried.
"Dearest Era Feah, you do not need to refer to me by my title. It is but an adornment put upon me by the people of this land. I deem the use of my title unnecessary between you and I." A smile graced the Lady's lips. "I am no different from the people," a heavy pause. "I am but a Light within the Shadows."
"Galane…" She furrows her brows at the Lady, trying to make sense of her words. "There's something you're not telling me…" Era Feah watches as she uncomfortably shifts on the grass, her cloak engulfing her body, pulling the hood over her head to try and keep her face hidden.
"Era Feah," the Lady's voice is only a whisper, but still it quivers like a shout. "This era of peace is quickly coming to an end. With what I am, I cannot interfere too greatly with the destiny of mankind. What I am permitted-"
"Galane…" Era Feah clasps her palms on either side of her shoulders, peering into the stars that are the goddess' eyes.
"What I am permitted to do is watch as everyone falls," a tear rolls down the Lady's cheek. "I do not want you to fall, Era Feah."
"How long?" A voice of reason and desperation took over her.
"Pardon?" Galane is visibly caught off guard.
"How long," Era Feah repeats, her jaw clenching, "do my people have?"
"The Shadows will wreak havoc at last light's rest tomorrow."
"There's no hope for us, then." Her arms fall to her sides, slumping back onto the earth, a feeling of defeat. "I don't understand," she pushes herself off the ground, now standing and looking down at the Light. "Why could you not have told us sooner?" She clenched her hands into fists, her body beginning to quake with anger.
"It was against my boundaries! Even me telling you what I did now is a risk!" Galane was violently sobbing on her hands and knees, not knowing what to say or do next. Era Feah could see that she was genuinely afraid for what was to become of her people.
"Then I will do all that I can with what you have told me. I will prepare my people for the Shadows so that we may all live another era." Era Feah went to turn around and return to the villages when she felt a strong tug on her own cloak.
"Era Feah, please," Galane was now upright, the trail of tears still prominent on her face. "When you feel yourself falling, seek me out." The Lady took her hands in hers as she reached for something behind her back. She slid the item under her fingers as resolve filled her words. "Meet me here under the Great Life Tree." With those parting words, Lady Galane pressed a chaste kiss onto her lips, as it was the first and last that they would share.
Era Feah looked on as the goddess faded into nothingness, now alone to mull over what it was that is written in the stars.
The battle was for naught, as it was a losing battle from the beginning. Era Feah could feel the Shadows that were riling inside of her. She's lost everything. Her family, her friends, her comrades. There was nothing else of the villages, of the people, of the life that flourished on this planet only a day before. She looked up at the moon and cursed the destiny that was written for her. First light was nearly here. If she could just fight a little longer and make it to the Great Life Tree, then she could fall peacefully with the Lady of the Heavens watching over her.
"Era Feah!" Lady Galane rushed over to her just as she was about to collapse, a beacon of Light amongst the Shadows. "Please, not yet!" She could feel her body slowly being supported up the hill that the Tree reigned over. "Do not fall, my dearest…please." She could feel a wetness on her skin that was not from the sky or from her. She looked up at the lady with her undamaged eye and saw a face full of despair. To see this absence of hope on the Lady made her own light dim. She was about to utter the thoughts that were racking her mind during the battle until the Lady began to aid her onto a bed of sheepskin.
"Galane," Era Feah could no longer keep silent, "it's not your fault." A sharp pain began to ring throughout her body, it being most unbearable near her heart. She let out a wail and began to writhe, her vision becoming blurry and the world around her dimming.
"Era Feah, I am so sorry…" She could hear Lady Galane whimpering behind her sobs. "The Shadows are winning, but I can preserve a piece of your Light for another life." She could hear a panic in the Lady's voice. "When a time of peace comes along, you will be there."
"And what of you?" She forced her working eye to open, so she could bask in the Lady's Light for the last time.
"For me to preserve a human's Light, I must give myself up." Galane spoke with resolve in her voice.
"My heart…" She found her own cheeks to be wet now. "In my next life, will I see you?"
A silence that seemed to have dragged on, first light was rising. The Shadows in her body were now making it harder to breathe and her vision was all but lost. A featherlight touch on her cheek. "Yes. I promise."
"Then may we meet again in another life, Galane." And with those last words, her entire being seemed to dissolve into a cage of warmth and star sapphires.
A stir in the covers, so slight that it was almost as if there was barely any movement. All else was still in the room, not a sound to be heard. The air was thick and the eclipse curtains were blocking out the early morning sun's rays. The atmosphere of this unfamiliar place was eerie, in a sense that there was no one else on the planet but her and this person.
This woman. Immediately, a sharp pain shot through her chest and her breathing became labored. She sat up and instinctively clutched at her chest, trying to figure out the cause of the sudden stabbing. As quickly as the onslaught had happened, the pain went away.
She took the covers off herself slowly and meticulously, not wanting to have to confront the stranger. She trudged over to the dresser, feeling groggy and uncoordinated. She reached into her back pocket, expecting to find her phone, but she found nothing but a star sapphire necklace. Strange. She tried to think back to the night before, wondering where she could have misplaced it. After some effort in trying to recall what happened, she realized that she didn't have any memory at all. No memory of yesterday, or the day before.
The eclipse curtains abruptly opened and a sea of sunlight bombarded the room. She peered into the dresser mirror and caught a glimpse of the woman from the bed, before training her eyes on her reflection. Is that…me? She slowly turned around, the harsh rays of the sun bombarding her eyes. When her vision focused on the Light in front of her, a feeling of nostalgia overwhelmed her entire being.
"Angela?" A name she's never uttered. Galane?
"I kept my promise, Fareeha." Era Feah.
A/N: This was originally around 2000 words long, but I didn't want to go over the word limit, so I had to cut some scenes out. Even with some content cut out, I hope I managed to make this enjoyable.