Pahadron and UpbeatSweetie's Love Affair-Chapter 1
Our story began long ago, before the time of man even. The earth was yet still newly created and The Ancients and Elders ruled all things. Of course, later a new god would be born, and lay claim to all that the other gods had created. But that is how things go. Old gods are forgotten, young gods are born, and eventually even they are replaced by a new generation of gods.
Many say that our times are godless. But it isn't so. It's only the image of what is percieved as gods that change, and how mankind views it. Even now, in the great city of RavenBlack, many believe themselves to be gods. And perhaps they are correct. Especially since there are yet humans who follow and worship them while these new gods are willing to lead.
Perhaps it has something to do with thier illusion of immortality. Just as the gods themselves are endowed with special gifts and powers, so does this new race called vampire. And just as the gods exsist in timelessness, so does the vampire also live as if time has stopped for them. It is the vampire though, that knows that this agelessness is only illusion. But despite this illusion, many of the vampire race have reached almost godlike exsistance. Their ageless experience overshadowing thier fragile exsistance and thier own mortality.
But I, UpbeatSweetie, exsisted well before the era of vampires. This is only my most recent journey in exsistance, and the past is where my story begins. My very creation itself. And the timeless love that would result from that creation would inspire poets and bards throughout mankind's lives.
I can still remember drawing my first breath of exsistance. The feel of the cool mists of the realms against my skin. The feel of the many suns upon my face and thier brightness upon my closed eye lids. I had no fear, of suddenly being. Instead my spirit was filled with excitement, joy, purpose...life itself.
The first sound to fall upon my ears was that of my own laughter. The feeling of the power in that simple sound, coming from the very depths of my being and reaching far beyond my body. Enveloping me in complete joy and safty.
The first sight I opened my eyes to, was that of my parents. The Lord and Lady stood gazing upon me. And unknowingly, I smiled and laughed at them, filled with the love I saw reflected in my parents' eyes. And they smiled in return, although sadness also shawdowed thier gaze. At the time, I knew not why such joy could be filled with such....pain and longing. It would not be till later on, that the knowledge would come to me as to why. But one day in the future, I would feel it for myself.
As my parents looked upon me for the first time, they celebrated in thier creation. Yet they despaired also, for they knew I was the last of thier children to be created. And with that, a new dawn would arise, and soon they would stop exsisting themselves, as the old ways were replaced by the new. They cried tears of joy and sadness, knowing the fruitlessness of trying to stop things that had been set into motion by the unseen forces.
At that moment, they discovered the fraility of thier immortality.
I was not born as human children are born. I was created from nothing, yet had always exsisted. But it was my parents who gave me form, who poured their desires and needs into that void, giving shape to what I became. My appearance hasn't changed much over the endless stretch of eternity, although my name has changed many times. A thousand times over by the different races of man. As the civilizations of Earth have been created, destroyed, and rebuilt, so has mankind shaped and renamed me to suite thier needs and perceptions.
But those first days of my living, were simple. I appeared as a fully grown woman. Compared to my siblings, the Elders, I was small indeed. Standing but five foot tall and small boned, I looked fragile at first glance. But the elements my parents had called upon to form me, were deceptive in thier fragile appearance. And the flames of passion and love burned strongly within, hidden from the eyes of others.
The Lord and Lady covered my nakedness in rainbows and mists. My long red hair flowed past my hips, and looked as flame. Held within thier fiery depths, were the brightest of the evening stars. With each step I took, seeds took root and flowers sprang up from the barren soil. My eyes were the color of the greenest pastures. Thier only likeness to be found in emerald islands of the north, found on the planet we had named Earth.
My parents loved me well. My first few centuries of exsistance were kept close to them. They taught me the ways of the Ancients, having me swear to not disclose thier secrets to others. To use my gifts to carry on thier wishes and desires through all time. For they had discovered in me, what they had not been able to do themselves, alone and without a mate. I had but to think of life, and it came to be. The other Ancients also taught me thier skills. Knowing that one day, perhaps what they had created would be forgotten, as they watched thier own children trying to wrest control of the heavens away from their creators.
Not all was happiness, as I did have rivals for my parents' affections. My siblings, The Elders, felt that I held more favore with The Ancients than they. And The Elders resented the time our parents spent with me. The Elders could not understand why the Ancients kept me near and taught me the old ways. Nor could they trust my apparent niavity and innocence. They thought only of themselves, and believed that I was trying to upsurp thier positions and rule throughout the realms. And The Elders envied the gifts that had been bestowed on me by The Ancients.
But I could only feel compassion and love for my siblings. Although I did not understand all things fully in the beggining, deep within my being I knew I was different. A part of both of thier worlds, but yet...different. It was as if something else spoke and moved through me at times. But in my innocence, I could only catch glimmers of what my true exsistance was to be. I only know now, that even though I've fulfilled my purpose, that my job is far from done. As I have watched the gods fight, destroy one another and thier creations, die, and be reborned, I have kept on being. While they have disappeared from mankind's sight and hearts to be replaced by new gods, I've been thrust into the very depths of living. The whispers of unseen hands have guided me thus far, and they prod me on to keep at my tasks.
But those first few stretches of my first exsistance was experienced through a child's eyes.
As I said, in the beggining, the earth was new. All that exsisted was the heavens, the mystical realms, and earth. On Earth itself, exsisted the waters, the soil, trees and plants, and the many different animals within the waters, skies, and upon the earth itself. The many fields and groves were filled with bees and birds, flying among the trees and foliage. All things were so peaceful and beautiful than. One could look for miles and see nothing but Nature in all her beauty and glory.
The Ancients and Elders used it as thier retreat. The Ancients had scattered thier children among the mystical realms and set each in charge of a particular realm or element. The Ancients had each had a hand in creating the different forms of life, created from their own blood, tears, laughter, and passions. But The Ancients had grown bored of this exsistance, having only the company of themselves and each other, so they had created images of themselves. This is how The Elders and myself had become to be. As all children do, we also saw the earth as our own playing field.
Some used it to war with one another, while others saw it as a place to expand thier imaginations and create life of thier own, in thier own images. Some of the Elders created lesser gods and goddesses, less empowered images than themselves. These lesser gods and goddesses were created to fulfill and carry out duties while the Ancients and Elders busied themselves with control of the heavens and mystical realms.
Even though my name is long forgotten, hidden in the secret recesses of time, one name has followed me throughout my exsistance. That given to me on my creation day by the Ancients. For as they looked upon my innocent and loving ways, they nicknamed me UpbeatSweetie. For as they said, all forgot thier woes for a bit as my laughter washed over them. For the sound of my laughter was the sound of love and life itself.
It is thus, that I was first created. From the first breath that the Ancients breathed into my being, my first desire was to overlook and care for the many creatures they had placed on Earth and in the Mystical Realms. My heart was drawn to caring for and creating many of the magical creatures now long lost to legend and myths. It was the title of 'Keeper of the Mystical Realms' that my parents placed upon me, that gave me authority over my siblings' realms, caring for all the mystical realms and earth itself and it's creatures. It was the Ancients themselves who set the seal upon my finger, to control and protect those sacred realms from harm. To ensure that all they had created prospered and thrived.
While I was tutored under The Ancients' guidance, The Elders had been busy creating new beings of thier own, of which they named mankind. These beings had no mystical or magical powers of thier own. Thier only value seen as a mirror image of the gods and goddesses, to worship and serve The Elders and thier offspring. To be used as the gods saw fit.
Yet still, even as gods today look to have something to rule over so they may feel loved and worshipped, there were still other gods and goddesses who saw mankind as nothing more than beasts themselves. And with this thought, a few of these gods felt that if the humans were to be mirror images of the gods themselves, to rule over the beasts for the Elders and thier kin, that the humans should be taught the ways of the gods. Some would say this was a mistake. Yet other's would argue it wasn't. Yet the answer lies somewhere in between.
The Ancients saw this, and felt the need to create a new race of gods. To watch over mankind and the heavens. To control the fickle humans and the gods that had created them, to use for control and rule over all above and below. And thus, three were created. One assigned to do carry out the Ancients orders against those that broke their laws, another to watch over the humans to ensure they didn't become as gods themselves, and one to create and care for all living things.
The Fates watched carefully over thier creations. Whispering thoughts and desire into the hearts of thier children. The Fates gently guided and stroked the fires of the Flame, the last of thier creations. They found pride in how it's life line grew stronger with each passing decade, it's brilliance brightening up the darkest of shadows.
The Fates took great pride in seeing that the Arrow's flight had been buried true. They saw how the tiny planet it had been embedded in, grew to fruitation. They quietly whispered the ways of the animals into the dreams of the Arrow. Teaching her the language of the animals and elements. The Arrow found within herself the ability to sing the songs of life and healing.
The Fates also watched and guided the cutting stroke of the Burning Sword, that had been forged within the Flame's depths. They whispered to it in it's dreams, guiding it to the life threads that were to be pruned and set apart from the web thus far created. The Fates whispered knowingly among themselves, as they watched the stars cut from the web being cast into the darkness of space.
As each star was cut away from the web, they were not cast totally adrift. Not as Ancients believed. As each life force was seperated from the rest, The Fates would quickly catch it, and set it to a seperate place of the void. The Fates plotted and planned. Thier chants created new life lines for the stars cast adrift, and attached those threads to the Flame, Sword, and Arrow. For The Fates were not done yet, with tampering with the future of thier children. These stars still had purpose and would be called upon by the last of the children they had created.
The Fates then entered the dreams of the first Ancients, whispering to them a plan. And they awaited, watching the life thread stretched between Flame and Arrow shorten. And as thier distance grew closer to one another, it grew brighter and thicker. Yet, the life thread between the Flame and Sword remained. Gentle tugs of power pulsed between the two, as a heartbeat. And The Fates whispered to the Flame, stroking it's fires and igniting it's passions as they watched the heartbeat of life pass through the fragile thread. They whispered chants and prayers, knowing that this fragile connection would be stretched even further in the near future.
The Fates than sat back and awaited what would come next. They watched as humans were created by those they had created. And they whispered to the Flame and Arrow of things to come. Yet, The Fates also whispered within other's dreams, watching as other life lines tangled and tried to grasp at the Flame's heart.
The Fates smiled, while watching the tug on the fragile thread between Flame and Sword grew stronger, and the distance between the two shorter as the Sword sought the Flame.