~Lacrimoso al Chiaro di Luna
Moonlit Lachrymose – her battle between her Darkness and her Light...
~A rewritten version of my original story Darkness and Light~
~rewritten on Wednesday, July 7th, 2010~
Once, in a past lifetime, she was enclosed; trapped. She loved her village immensely. She would never doubt that. But it offered absolutely nothing for her. She didn't even know what she wanted. But somehow, she knew that whatever it was, it was outside those village walls. In her mind, she imagined it to be something; something that even she could not grasp. She thought that she sounded ludicrous to even herself, but what she wanted was past those adobe walls, past the sandy dunes of the Sahara, past the far reaches of the rays of Ra that swept pass the mighty Sahara.
So one night, she left.
On her brilliant white stallion, she rode for fourteen days and fourteen nights across the desert until finally, she reached the sea.
A lone oak grew on a cliff facing the waters. The cliff's surface was luscious with pasture and long stalks of grass.
But only the cliff.
Everything surrounding it, below and behind, was rocky and bare. Just like the Sahara behind her. She knew this place was spiritual. She knew this place was pure. Yet why was she able to stand upon such untainted grounds? Why was she so honored, to feel the cool grass that grew so curiously beneath her bare feet? Why was she able to see this tree, which was so unheard of thriving on the rocky boundary between desert and sea?
Yet the stars that night were ablaze. The moon was full and large. So large that she felt like if she outstretched her hand, the moon would seem to engulf her entire body outline from afar. As she stood there, on that lone cliff with her horse standing proudly beside her, she heard a lonely song echo across the sea. A great white light shone from the ocean beneath her. It was the reflection of the moon, but as she moved closer, she gasped as she saw what was producing such a luminous light.
Suddenly, bursting from the waters, its magnificent form was shrouded in darkness as soon as it reached the surface.
Its silhouette danced and spiraled in the large presence of the moon, its large and vast wings giving the creature a sense of beauty. She gazed in amazement. Such awe, such beauty. It was breathtaking.
The creature suddenly stopped its dance and froze in midair. It then dove in head first back into the waters deep enough, before arising once again with an equivalent force, spiraling into the air until at last, it spread out its wings and stopped; dead center in the middle of the moon.
In its deep, echoing, melodious voice, it spoke:
"Young woman, the kindness and pureness of your heart has allowed you to step upon the sacred shores of this sea." It blinked its large violet, yet sapphire eyes.
"You are content and not the least bit frightened." It stated.
It was true. How could it not be? She was smiling in astonishment at the beautiful creature in front of her, her eyes wide open with excitement and wonder. But at the same time, the air around her was unconsciously solemn and respectful. She lifted the hem of her desert gown and bowed with a small, graceful movement of her body.
"I am not afraid, it is true." She lifted her head. "But I am amazed of thy beauty. I can feel the power and yet thy kindness radiating from your form."
She closed her eyes placed a hand upon her beating heart. "I also know that somehow, deep in my heart," she looked up, "that you will not harm me."
The creature stared her for a moment, she stared right back into his eyes, her gaze unflinching but instead, soft and warm. He flapped his vast and massive wings with a small enough force to hang in midair as he flew down close to her standing place. He was now so close to her that if he allowed, she could reach out and stroke his massive head. He did.
Under her hesitant, yet gentle touch, the Guardian of the Sea closed his eyes and purred.
"I am called Rugia. Rugia Mizui; Guardian of the Sea." He opened his eyes and looked at the girl in front of him.
"What is your name?"
She smiled and answered…
Catalyna's eyes snapped open as she woke with a start, gasping as she clenched her fist over the sheets clutched right above her erratically beating heart. Dark, raven strands stuck to her sweat-covered face. Breathing heavily, she closed her eyes tightly and waited for her head to clear from sitting up so quickly.
A memory.
She inhaled deeply one more time before she opened her amber eyes and let them adjust to the darkness of the alabaster adobe walls. In the darkness, she laid her eyes on her two daughters who were sleeping peacefully next to her, their hands entangled with their mother's long hair, spilled over the bed, undisturbed from her sudden movement.
A beautiful memory.
The two girls, identical with their long white hair and ivory colored skin…
It was one of the happiest moments of her life, in fact.
She smiled at her two greatest treasures, and bent down and kissed each of their foreheads, knowing that she was her happiest…
But the vision…
When she saw the two pairs of equally sky-blue, sapphire eyes…
The vision after was what frightened her so terribly.
Smiling back up at her.
~End of Prologue