”It's okay to feel weak sometimes. It's okay to be afraid.
The important thing is that we face our fears.
That's...that's what makes us strong.”
From the beginning of time, humans have worshipped some form of a deity. Where they got the ideology that another, more powerful being existed, over watching them and judging their every movement, their every decision - their every thought - is beyond the understanding of modern day scientists. All that is known is that they have worshipped some sort of ethereal being since the beginning of their existence.
Jesus. Allah. Moses. Zeus. God.
Those are but a few of the many, many deities and omnipotent beings that the humans have ‘thought’ of as their creators. Obviously, none of them came close to the truth - the truth that the Sun and the Moon, two ‘planets’, as they were deemed by humans, were the actual creators of all living creatures - but that was partially the doing of said deities. Ever since the humans began to wonder how they came to be, how they were created, or in general questions anything related to such a subject, the Sun and the Moon have ventured to Earth to regularly spin stories, and spread them across the world in an attempt to slow the discovery of their being. Once their children were born, however, they put far more effort into keeping their existence hidden, into preventing them and their children from being discovered. Any human that came close to the truth was promptly dealt with, usually by the Senior Star given her memory suppression capabilities, and so far so their web of lies and legends has held up.
The lies were put into place to not only protect the Sun and Moon, and not only their children, either, but also the human beings themselves. If they were to discover the true origin of their beginnings, there is no telling what the outcome could be. What could become of the children and their parents is unknown, seeing as the two deities never once claimed to be omnipotent, and they have lived in slight fear of their existence becoming known one day.
They don’t, of course, plan to hide themselves forever. Simply until they deem the humans to be capable of accepting their existences without any repercussions; and so far, they have yet to prove themselves worthy to know the truth.
The main cause of war in human society stems from religious views. The main cause of disputes between people is caused by their differences in beliefs.
Many, many issues in human society, both currently and throughout the past, can be traced back to religious differences. The Crusades are a prime example of holy wars, during which time countless lives were lost.
The witch trials across Europe and early America are another example of the religious influence that causes mass genocides to take place. World War II, in which Adolf Hitler attempted to wipe out all of those belonging to the Jewish faith.
To sum everything up, human beings as a whole are not ready to accept the truth. They are close - God, they are so very close - to being able to hear the real truth and accept it without negative consequences or outcomes.
But they aren’t quite there yet; and so the Sun and the Moon are not ready to take the chances of revealing their existence to any human being, out of fear of them spreading the knowledge their being to other humans throughout the world. And so we hide.
We always hide. Velonix glanced up from the blank, old book that she had been writing in. It had been given to her by the owner of the bookshop that she had just recently been given a job at, as a welcoming present. She had seen it through the window when she had been walking by, and it had prompted her to enter the store, almost as though it were calling for her. When the owner, Mr. Zwemmer, saw her inside and staring at it, he had removed it from its case and allowed her to look more closely at it. While she was studying it, they began a conversation, and one thing led to another, and she ended up with her first real job in the human world. After her third of fourth shift, during which times she would stare at the ancient book, Mr. Zwemmer finally caved and gave her it as a gift, much to her happiness. She had promised vehemently to care for it as though it were a living creature, and he laughed in response, knowing that she would.
Setting down the quill - yes, she still wrote with a quill and ink,
deal with it - she put the stopper into her ink bottle and pushed back her chair, rising from her seat. She placed the book and writing utensils behind the main counter before turning to go through the boxes of new books that had arrived that morning.
She could still remember the day that her siblings pushed her into returning to Earth, which was only two weeks prior to the present day. The idea had been hers - a decision that still surprised her, even though she was the one who came up with it.
~’.’~Two Weeks Prior~’.’~
Soft whispers slithered beneath the door that led to the library. They could only be heard if one were to be standing directly outside of the door, and it was almost necessary to press one’s ear to said door in order to actually understand what was being said.
Not that there was anyone to listen to the discussion. Sun and Moon were currently overwatching the Earth, as they did at that exact time each and every new day, and The Senior Star Astra was currently assisting them in their Earthly decisions. The Junior Star Vyasa was at her side, attempting to intake any new knowledge to be gained from the actions that his more powerful Godly comrades were performing.
Now who, one may wonder, was making such noise in the library?
There could only be one group of culprits behind it; the four children of the Sun and the Moon.
The very embodiment of the Seasons themselves.
Beyond the large, oaken door, the children of the Gods sat on the comfortable furniture within. The two eldest were on one couch, while the two youngest had taken seats on the armchairs on either side of the larger furniture. Harmony had taken the liberty to start a fire in the massively beautiful fireplace that adorned the equally gorgeous library, which was quadruple the size of the area that they were currently nestled in, and she folded her legs beneath her bottom on the chair, tucking her skirt underneath her shins in an ever-present drive at modesty. A mug of her ever-present hot chocolate, decorated with whipped cream, marshmallows, and sprinkles of cinnamon, was clasped firmly between her oddly cold palms, which were damp with a nervous sweat. The same wetness was sprinkled across her hairline, both along her forehead and the nape of her neck, and a small tremble of anxiety resided in her hands. In addition, she was doing her bad habit of bouncing slightly as she sat, constantly shifting her weight in an obvious attempt to get comfortable, despite it being a futile effort.
After several moments of silence had ticked by, Harmony obviously too nervous to start the discussion of why she had asked her siblings to join her in the library, her sister spoke.
”Har, I understand that you’re nervous, but you should know by now that there’s no need for you to feel that way around us. Whatever’s bothering you - whatever’s weighing on your mind - just speak.” Her voice was gentle, almost a coo, in an obvious attempt to draw her shy younger sister slightly more out of her shell.
In response, Harmony fidgeted a bit more for a moment longer, before forcing herself to settle and heaving a sigh. After a long sip of her delicious cocoa, she lowered her feet to the floor and leaned forward, setting the mug on the coffee table before her. She dropped her hands to her knees, drew in a long breath in preparation, and in one long heave, blurted out what she had rehearsed at least thirty-two times in her mind.
”I … I want to go and visit Earth!”
Almost instantly the girl squeezed her eyes shut, her shoulders hunching in readiness for her siblings expected outbursts of rejection at her wish. When nothing was immediately said, she slowly allowed herself to pry open one eye, and then another when she noticed the blank stares of surprise from her brothers and sister. Squirming a bit under their piercing gazes - they all had equally beautiful eyes in her mind, and ones that could unsettle even the most rigid of people - she gnawed on her lower lip, looking down at her hands on her legs. Her fingers were curled inwards, digging into the flesh of her knees, and she was bouncing her one foot anxiously.
A few more beats of silence passed before anyone spoke, and it was one word.
”No.”
Harmony’s head snapped up, her heart stopping for a brief moment before skipping a beat and regaining its regular pattern. Her eyes met her older brother’s gaze, which was dark and stern, unrelenting in its own way.
”But, Phoebus, at least let me explain wh-”
”No. Absolutely not. This shouldn’t even be up for discussion, Harmonix,” he interrupted, not even allowing her to finish her sentence. Her eyes welled up with tears in immediate response, and she lowered her head once more, her action holding all of the defeat she felt. She had known it was a long shot from the beginning, getting her siblings on board with her idea, but to be shot down so quickly and so assuredly definitely stung.
A soft scoff was heard from the girl that sat beside Phoebus. Her cotton candy hair was illuminated in the glow of the fire, and an eye roll could be seen.
”Oh, come on, Phoebus. At least let her explain why she wants to visit Earth. You can’t just shoot down what she says without allowing her to tell us why she would want to do it. Harmony very rarely speaks her mind about issues that she knows are controversial, so you can at least respect her courage to do so right now, given the subject.”
Harmony glanced up slightly, looking at her sister through her lashes, her gaze holding the gratitude she felt towards the older girl. Aurora definitely wasn’t wrong, though; very rarely would Harmony bring up a subject or idea that she knew would cause an argument or negativity of any sort, so when she did, it was usually for a good reason.
Turning her gaze to her older brother, she allowed her eyes to take on a puppy-dog look, and she jutted out her lower lip. This was her signature expression - something that she reserved only for times that she really wanted something - and her older brother instantly melted like butter.
Quickly averting his own eyes from hers, he looked away, his pale cheeks taking on a soft flush.
”By the stars above, Har - not the eyes,” he groaned. He flicked a glance at the girl, only to find that she was still holding the same expression, and slapping his hand over his eyes, he slowly dragged it down his face, before heaving a loud sigh.
”Fine, I’ll at least listen to this insane idea that you’ve come up with,” he muttered.
Instantly Harmony brightened, her puppy dog look diminishing, and she leaned forward, her previous nervousness replaced with obvious excitement. A twinkle shone in her eye, and she had a gentle smile on her lips. She still did, however, speak with hesitancy, a slight stutter taking away some of the confidence she felt.
”I … I’m hoping that if I were to go to Earth … That it could maybe help me come to terms with everything that’s happened since … Since the incident,” she finished, her voice ending almost in a murmur. What little courage she felt when she began speaking had quickly faded as she finished, and she felt her shoulders slightly slump with dejection. She picked at her fingernails, suddenly extremely fascinated with her hands.
”I know that … I know that I’ve caused a lot of unnecessary trouble and problems over the years, ever since that day when we were children … And I know that because of what happened, I’ve changed a lot as a person ...” She trailed off for a moment, having to pause to garner a bit of bravery. Turning her face back upwards, she met each one of her siblings gazes before continuing.
”I’ve been keeping it hidden as much as possible, but recently … Recently, what Astra did to help me contain the Phoenix … The walls that she built to help seal my two separate minds, or identities, or whatever you want to call them … I can feel them beginning to crumble,” she said softly, her shoulders once more slumped, but this time instead of the cause being defeat, it was more so worry. She pressed her lips together for a moment before continuing.
”I … I’m really scared,” she whispered, tears prickling at her eyes. ”I’m scared of what will happen if those walls disappear completely, and the Phoenix is allowed out and into the physical world once more. I don’t expect any of you to understand … You’ve never had anything like this happen before … But I ...” Drawing in a shaky breath, she felt a ball of anxiety curl in her chest. ”I can hear her … I can hear her voice, in the very back of my mind, hiding behind those walls. She keeps telling me to do things … Things that I know I shouldn’t do, but things that I really want to do. So far I’ve been able to ignore her and push down my urge to do what she says, but … But I’m afraid of what might happen if I can’t get a handle on her.”
There was a lapse in words being said, before Phoebus once more spoke, his voice slightly heavy, given the equal weight of the current conversation.
”And how do we know that it isn’t Phoenix’s idea for us to go to Earth? How do we know that this is actually your own idea, Harmonix?”
Harmony hesitated before slowly responding.
”I just … It might be hard for me to resist the temptation that she gives me to do certain things, and I may not have been able to discern my thoughts and her thoughts before Astra helped me, but … Right now, I can tell which thoughts are mine and which are hers. I don’t really know how to explain how I can, but … But I can. And on that, you’ll just have to trust me, Phoebus.”
Another moment of silence ticked by - there seemed to be a lot of those during this discussion, Harmony idly thought - before anyone responded to her words.
”I think … That if you think that it’s a good idea, and if you think that it really will help you, Sundown … That we should do it.”
Harmony turned her gaze to her younger brother, her lower lip trembling slightly. She had known before even asking for her siblings to meet her that out of all of them, Ellyion was most likely to support what she thought was best, and he had definitely proved her correct in that assumption.
Turning back to her older siblings, she looked at them with her wide, umber eyes, which spoke volumes over her expectation for an answer. Aurora was studying her nails, and while filing at the tip of one of her index fingers, she shrugged and spoke.
”I think that if you think that it can help you, and that you can handle it, we should at least give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe it’ll prove beneficial for all of us. Wouldn’t you agree, Phoebus?” she dragged out, purposely doing so in order to annoy him.
The boy in question narrowed his eyes slightly at his older sister, a soft growl of sorts escaping his lips, before he turned to Harmony, his gaze a smidge less stern than it was before. After several calculated moments, during which time she could practically see the gears turning in her older brother’s head, he spoke.
”Seeing as I’m clearly outnumbered, I’ll have to say yes. What kind of brother would I be to just let all of you run rampant down on Earth? Someone has to be down there to corral you,” he sighed, rubbing his temples.
Harmony immediately brightened, her skin taking on a slightly golden glow, and she was across the gap between them in seconds, her arms thrown around her older brother’s neck.
”Thank you, Phoebus … You … You have no idea what this means to me,” she whispered into his neck, her tears soaking into his long hair.
Slamming her forehead dramatically onto the counter that held the register and basic supplies for the bookstore, Velonix let out an equally dramatic sound that could only be described as a mix between a sigh and a whining wail. Turning her head slightly, she looked forlornly out the window, inhaling the scent of the book directly before her face.
The sun was shining brightly through the clear window, giving the interior of the building an ethereal glow. Dust mites danced in the sun’s rays, and for a moment, she felt an unwanted sadness in her chest.
Somewhere, far up in the sky and even further beyond that, her parents were looking down at the world below. She could picture her mother, wringing her hands and a worried crease between her brows, and her father, pacing with long strides across the hall that enclosed the enormous, hologram-like image that showed them the entirety of the planet. It was used to view in on any place at any time, past, present, or future, and to interact with said reality. There were many of times that her parents had altered the past in order to benefit the future - they went back and prevented world-wide catastrophes.
Why, then, did they allow certain events to occur? Why did they allow countless lives to be lost to the hands of evil humans who wished nothing but death upon the masses?
It was all for a better goal.
To think that they enjoyed watching the humans suffer - you couldn’t be further from the truth. Countless times had Velonix ventured into the great hall, as a young child and beyond, to find her mother weeping over the hologram of the beautiful planet. She had seen unimaginable things in that hologram, and heard screams that still echoed in her ears to this very day. As soon as her parents spotted her they would shoo her away fairly quickly, of course, but that didn’t stop her from seeing things.
People being torn limb-from-limb by ancient Roman Gladiators.
Children being burned alive alongside their parents during the European Witch Trials.
Animals being killed by toxic chemicals sprayed down upon the humans by large flying machines from above.
Tears pricked at her eyes at the memories, and she squeezed the large umber orbs shut in an attempt to stem their flow, and to shield herself from the visuals flashing before her eyes.
Closing them only prevented herself from seeing, however. It didn’t slow what she could hear, not by a long shot; and the screams continued to echo inside of her mind.
Making a fist, she struck herself repeatedly on the side of the hide, rather aggressively if anyone were to look upon her action.
“Stop ... Stop it, please ...” she whispered, her lips a slight grimace.
After a few moments, the screams slowly faded and she had managed to qualm her rapid breathing, having only just then realized how quickly she was panting. She remained like that, bent over with her hand resting on the counter, for who knew how long, and only rose when the alarm to the door made its soft sounds, the pre-recorded melody of Fur Elise announcing the arrival of a newcomer.
Smiling at the person who had ventured inside, she stretched out her arms, her elbows crackling at the motion.
“Welcome back, Mr. Zwemmer! Did you have a pleasant afternoon?”
The elderly man gave her a kind yet beaming grin in return, making his face slowly into the business, his cane that was honestly just used for sure - he really didn’t even use it, the trickster that he was - clacking away with each step.
“Ah, Velonix - always a warm and joyous face to see. I enjoy being able to leave my store, knowing it’s in good hands, and also being able to return to it, knowing that I’ll be able to see your cute face when I come back,” he chuckled. Velonix instantly turned beat red, lifting her hands and waving them sporadically before her.
“Oh, Mr. Zwemmer, you’re too kind!” she laughed, her embarrassment evident in her flushed face.
Chuckling once more, he approached the counter that she stood behind, lifting his cane and gently resting it on top of her head.
“Now that I’m here, you get on outside and enjoy the sunshine. You’re young and deserve to enjoy your youth; not spend it cooped up inside of a bookstore all day.”
Velonix gave the man a reassuring smile, clapping her hands together in front of her. “Oh, I really don’t mind, Mr. Zwemmer! I love being surrounded by the books, so it’s no hassle for me at all!”
Rolling his eyes in a very young action, he made his way behind the counter, nudging her with his cane.
“Go on, shoo - I can handle it for the rest of the day on my own. Go outside and enjoy yourself! Make some friends!”
She barely had enough time to snag her book and writing supplies before the old man had hustled her out from behind the counter. She wasn’t worried about anyone reading it - if anything they would assume that it was nothing but a fiction novel she was working on - but she felt almost as though she were missing a part of her when it wasn’t within her reach.
Stumbling to the door - he accidently tripped her a bit with his cane - she spun back around and waved to the man. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Zwemmer! Make sure to tell Ms. Ponsi that I said hello!”
She was, of course, referring to his beautiful, snow-white Persian kitten. He had adopted her shortly after his beautiful wife had passed, which wasn’t long before Velonix arrived on Earth, and the kitty was the apple of his eye. Although he and his wife had loved each other endlessly, they had never had children - something to do with Mrs. Zwemmer being unable to conceive - but had had countless pets over the years. After their last one died, with Mrs. Zwemmer’s ailing health, they decided not to adopt another animal for fear that they wouldn’t have time to care for it. After his wife passed, however, he was recommended by his doctors to adopt an animal to help with the grief, and not too long afterwards did he hire Velonix, so that he could have more time to spend with his precious pet.
Velonix shook the thoughts from her head. Of course, she wasn’t meant to know all of these things. It wasn’t as though Mr. Zwemmer had told her all of this. But then again, that was one of her specialties - knowing too much about the humans that she came into contact with. It’s why she tried very hard not to come into physical contact with a human; she had enough difficulty with her own memories, she didn’t need any added into the mess that was her brain.
Once outside, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the crisp, Autumn-like air. It wasn’t too cold, but neither was it unreasonably hot in this part of town. It was a happy middle ground, much to her delight, as her season normally was, and she was enjoying the beautiful weather - not that she couldn’t control it or anything. She giggled at the thought, opening her eyes and gazing up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand.
If only her parents could see her now - unafraid of the human world and its inhabitants. When she arrived on Earth with her siblings, she spent the first couple of days hiding in her bedroom, absolutely petrified to leave the house. However, after some gentle coaxing from her little brother, Ellyion, she managed to bring herself to step outside - and my, oh my, was she glad that she did so. The beauty that the Earth held was shameful to miss out on! She had forgotten over the years how gorgeous the nature was, and how bewitching the scenes that played before her eyes were. Obviously she was in town, currently, but even where there was a heavy lack of nature was she mesmerized. The shops, the people - everything was so fascinating to her, and she hadn’t even begun to explore this one little town, let alone the entire planet! Who knew what else was out there for her to discover? Her siblings and she had done their fair share of studying of the planet and its inhabitants over the hundreds of years that they had been alive, but nothing even came close in comparison to actually seeing it in person.
She had forgotten the beauty that the Earth held, and how kind the humans could actually be. What she once viewed as a dark and frightening place, she now saw as a light and gorgeous environment. The creatures that she once saw as vile and terrifying beings, were in actuality extremely caring individuals, rich with their own histories and memories, their own personalities.
She was a fool to ever believe that such an alluring and prepossessing place could be scary, and she was giddy with her newfound knowledge.
*Continued In CutupxKuraRavengade Collaboration Piece*
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