Holiday Refractions
Christmas.
An alien doctrine.
Remnant of an age gone by.
In her minds eye, she saw her mother. Decorations; playthings; a warm fuzzy feeling of belonging. The part of her that remained human longed for those things, a sense of belonging in the human world. The alignment brought this to her.
Neo Eden was aglow with the thoughts of a thousand. As with its mistress, many were turned inward, reflecting. It had been long enough that some had forgotten. Nova would have to think, would have to reason whether this were to be taught to the young or left to humanity to remember, while Jennifer missed her mother.
I could, the woman mused, seek council. Let them decide for themselves.
But they will not decide for themselves, she thought, They will not, for such an insignificant matter. So it will not do to bother them.
Of two minds, the White Lady walked the halls of the palace. Although thoughts flowed freely, nary a soul stirred. The night was comfortably warm. The young were curled in sleep, or feigning to escape and play in the gardens, under the stars. Rebelling for rebellions sake, and comprehended as it was. Unconcerned, the elders were involved in contemplation. All of this passed through her, she a specter caught between thoughts between concentrations. Mind empty as a neophyte's.
So she was when she came upon Frederick. The Dreamweaver twined about his fingers living green garlands of pine, grown like vines; he whispered to them to stay decorating the apex of wall and ceiling. He, too, recalled an age gone by, yet he did not regret as she did.
She did not ask. She did not need to. Like he did not need to. Nova merely watched, absorbing the notion that she was not alone.
"I will not teach this," she said, defiant at length, perhaps for defiance sake. It barely broke his diligence enough that he responded,
"Why would that be necessary?"
"If they ask." Simply stated, she realized how witless a thought was, even as her old friend spoke in kind,
"And what have they ever asked of us?" he told the greenstuff to glow, casting an illumination over them both, "Leave it to a historian, if they must know."
It made some sense. She left him to his work.
Upon the paramount balcony, Nova stood still, gathering starlight in one outstretched hand. Snow, she remembered, was somehow significant. Her mother had told her thus, although with little knowledge as to how it fit. Jennifer had brought forth the snow then, and the two of them agreed that it was, while pleasant to look at, far too cold to be useful.
The starlight accumulated to a significant handful, and the woman called the wind to carry it away. The shimmering stuff drifted on the current, and she willed it to cover Neo Eden in the brilliance of stars.
The End
Working Title: Holiday Thing
Inspiration: Winter fuzzies.
Noteworthy: First appearance - Frederick as Frederick.
Disambiguation: There is a lot of backstory behind this. In short: there are a lot of stories of mine that are pick and choose for a larger whole mythology.
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