Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story but the idea and the title.
A/N: This one is dedicated with lots and lots of thanks to Rikou Kyohaku! Domo Arigatou! Everyone check out Nightmares of the King, and write a review!
"Anything with mass exerts and reacts with gravity."
The Creature hissed, slashing Its claws through empty air. That fool of a human thought herself so wise. She spoke as though she knew everything.
She knew nothing!
"The more massive a body is, the more gravity it exerts."
If only it were that simple.
Heat from the cold. Light from the darkness. Beauty from nothing.
No human could ever understand.
The tiny flecks dancing…So beautiful! Their play gave her such joy!
How could anyone know what It had suffered?
Swirling around and around, drawn together by Her embrace, colliding, condensing…
How could anyone know?
Growing…
How could anyone understand?
So beautiful against the dark…
How could anyone see?
She was not alone anymore.
Movement. Light. A soul.
It turned, black eyes narrowing on the human. A woman, young, sitting on a seat suspended by two chains, all alone. Her gentle glow flickered, the soft blue dim, some kind of moisture on her face. Her feet dangled just above the surface of the Earth.
The Creature moved without concern. This one was not powerful, like those from earlier. This one would not fight back, or run away.
The woman looked up, eyes wide in the night. The Creature stopped just in front of her, shrouded enough in the shadows to appear human. It tipped Its deceptively sweet head, long locks tumbling, and regarded the human with curiosity.
"What is that?"
"What is what?"
"That moisture on your face."
"Tears."
"Tears? What is their purpose?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are they there?"
"I was crying."
"Why do you cry?"
"I'm sad."
"Why are you sad?"
"I am alone."
The Creature bowed Its head. "That is sad. But there are so many humans here. Why are you alone?"
The human lowered her head as well. Fresh moisture, fresh tears, fell. "He left."
The emptiness is deeper when once it was filled.
It walked to the woman, and held out Its hand. She paused, then took it in her own. It pulled her from the swinging seat, and drew her into Its cold embrace. A shudder worked through her body, her face wet against Its shoulder.
Strong fingers held her face, tipping it back until her soft blue human eyes met cold, black, monstrous eyes. A tiny gasp of shock was all she managed. The Creature locked Its lips over hers, and drew in a long, deep breath.
The darkness is thicker when once there was light.
Loosely, It clasped the empty shell of a human, licking Its lips with Its long, terrible tongue. The human's warmth danced inside It, sweet and beautiful. All too soon, the glow faded, and It was alone again.
The loneliness is more terrible when once there was love.
It let the body fall. Eyes as black as the Creature's stared from the human's face up into the night sky. The shell looked smaller without a soul, sunken, crushed from within. It was nothing without light, without warmth.
The Creature turned and walked away. Even as the human's light dimmed, her sadness remained, mixing with It's own until they became one. It shied away from a sudden moonbeam, and pondered over this shared anguish. There must be a reason the humans created tears when they were sad.
The crush of grief, of loneliness, of guilt…
How could anyone know It had not meant for things to come to this?
"My darlings."
How could anyone know
"My precious ones."
that It never wanted
"My beautiful"
to become a monster.
"children."
Perhaps It should cry, too?