I have never been to a ritual, this was one of the grandest ones that most of the witches have been to. Even the spirits of previous witches and Lunar and Solar Priestesses and Priests where at this gathering. Solar Priests were the day equivalent of the Lunar Priestesses, just male and are stronger in the day time; Both serve the gods and goddesses of all cultures of the world.

It was the funeral of the First High Priestess and the Awaking of the Moon Mother.

I was adorned in white though my veil was a light grey lace with diamonds, amethysts and sapphires sewn into the veil. I felt like I was getting married with how beautiful this dress was; I had a white collar that was connected to the rest of the dress with a see-through material on my chest, the rest of my dress was a simple dark blue silk with carefully thinned moonstone sewn into the skirt of the dress. I wore a light metal underneath the dress for what I was told, “For my own and the Goddess’s protection”.

I looked down to the alter and saw my Mother, who looked too tired and old for her own health. She let me know that things that she didn’t want to happen come to light and I was going to be thrown into things far too quickly that she couldn’t protect me from. Mother was not enjoying this anymore than I was, but maybe less than anyone here.

We were in the forest behind Torono, all the other creatures and animals were along the outer ring of the ritual acting as a barrier against those who chose to intrude. Lanterns strung along the forest on the higher branches of the trees, candles floated safely away from the wood. As many times as I explored this area, I never encountered this giant clearing. I looked around the crowd and saw a swarm of beautiful people at the back of the clearing. Smooth skin and ruby or sapphire eyes depending on gender (Males have red as they are Solar Children; Blue for females as they are Lunar Children. Though there is a few that have Amethyst eyes for those who go between the lines). It was all one race but their skins where all different, all shades of life but they all looked human.

The amount of power that was felt tonight was enough to cleanse radiation from the world but decided to be kept in this small spot of the world. Well, I guess it’s not a school night, I thought to myself as I sat in the back. I turned back to the alter and saw a glimpse of red hair which had familiar spikes poking in random, wonderful directions. My heart sank, Chad?

“My Lady, High Sanity,” One of the Priestesses touched my shoulder, “May you walk in the grace of your future.”

The others that surrounded me chanted the same. I hesitated and looked at my Mom whose moon filled right in front of everyone and shined.

I see, I frowned some more, my dark red lips not hiding the curves, She was chosen… Poor Mom.

I took in a deep breath and held my head high. Luckily my feet were bare and the ground free of clutter. The train of my dress was enchanted to show the cosmos and have a light purple fog flowing from it as I walked.

It is not time for you to fret, a soft voice spoke in my head, I will be here to help you, my little life.

And you are...? I asked in my head and kept walking.

You will see in a bit, She spoke again and I could hear the smile in her voice, We will meet soon enough.

I couldn’t get to the alter slow enough for my Mother to look any less sad. She whispered for permission to touch me one last time (her daughter one last time) and I involuntarily nodded. I would’ve told her to just whisk me away if I could but something, not the voice, kept me here. My mother took my face in her hands and cried, pressing her forehead against mine.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“I’m sorry,” She cried, “I should’ve been around more.”

“Mom,” I wanted to cry too but I held it down, “It’s fine, Mom.” I lied, I lied so hard but I choked on it.

“I wish we had a little bit more time, a few more hundred years…” Mom hugged me, a gasp rang out from the crowd. “I’m so sorry…”

I hugged my mother back and then we pulled away from each other. I glared at Chad and she turned to him too, “Please, Savros, please take care of her like you have.”

“Savros?” I whispered to him.

“I’ll explain later,” He replied.

I kept glaring at him until my mom raised her arms and gathered attention. All of the whispering and chanting had stopped and it felt like a larger surge of power held at the center of the clearing. A form started to appear from above the alter and it formed into a younger version of my Grandma. By the time she had touched her feet to the ground she was completely physical and naked. Her body decorated with stars and moons and planets that shifted with every movement.

Grandma turned to my mom and touched her shoulder with both hands and shouted, “Do you have the dagger?”

“I do!” My mother grabbed a knife from the table behind her.

“May I this life?” Grandma shouted.

Before I knew what that meant, Mom plunged the knife into her Moon, “Yes, you may!”

I shouted and tried to charge the astral woman, Chad – Savros – had gripped me and stopped me. I started crying into his chest. I felt the merge of two bodies and when I looked at both my grandmother and mother, I saw a most beautiful celestial form ever; It was both my mother’s body and grandmother’s shifting yet they both shown like a star. A crown of suns rotated around their head and when they spoke, they spoke with both voices.

Chad had helped me up but tears kept flowing.

They raised their arms up with the dagger in their hand and so did the rest of the crowd other then those in the back of the room.

“We have lived our lives, we knew the stars were granting us one last chance to right our wrongs,” The Grand High Priestess shouted, “Once a Guardian had fell from grace and I had trapped – unknowingly the Goddess of the Night – into a feud. I had promised to protect her soul and spirit. I had almost failed, and in doing so destroyed and recreated the world anew. Our Guardian is alive and walking, breaking his seal in this second chance. My Descendant took my charge as my life dwindled as a foreshadowing what was to come. Her human Avatar has come of age to waken!”

If I was standing a bit further away I wouldn’t have seen the streams of tears coming down the crystal cheeks of both of the women in my life.

We are so sorry, they chanted in my head, Sanity, we have loved you for such a long time as our own. Please forgive us…

I nodded and stood up. I patted the dirt and leaves from my dress and walked to the alter.

“Sanity Moone!” They shouted, “Look around you! These are the people who are giving up their life to restore yours! To restore their Goddess!”

I looked around and saw them starting to fade, felt even the ones that couldn’t make it join their power here.

“This generation refused to mate to not take new lives as the Goddess wished it!” The Grand High shouted. “Please do lay on this alter if you accept your fate!”

I turned quickly to the being, looked into their eyes and into Chad’s. I have never seen him heartbroken, he mouthed, “Refuse.”

Refuse! They shouted in my head.

If you refuse, you can live for you… The voice came back, slightly pleading, But another will die in your place until someone accepts this fate.

If I accept, I stood mentally against the light in my head, Will you protect my family and those that gave their life for your resurrection tonight? Will you give them a new, free life?

The voice was quiet as if she mulled this deal over, I am not trying to trap you, I am trying to give them freedom.

I promise as my oath as a Goddess. Her form slipped out of the mental orb of light and crossed her heart. She looked like me with a dull gray glow. The Goddess looked sad and old in her eyes, and she shared her feelings of trapped. At least that’s what we both felt.

I breathed in, both physically and mentally, “We have a deal.” I said out loud as I laid onto the alter.

The Celestial High Priestess hesitated before continuing, she ran a warm hand over my head brushing a strand of hair out of my face before kissing my forehead. “Blessed Be.” She whispered before plunging the knife in my chest. I heard an echo of the phrase as the rest of the people disappeared and left the non-astral witches, animals and creatures in the clearing. The gem-eyed people surrounded me, Chad… Savros being at my head. My mother and grandmother flickered away like a bonfire that died out, both crying, both whispering good-byes. My grandmother left after my mother, and she had the relief of finally dying.

I started feeling cold as I touched the blade and felt my blood oozing out of my chest. I lifted it up weakly and watched as my blood turned from red to silver and slither down my arm.

“Chad…” I was slipping, dying took a while I noted, “I’ve had the… biggest crush on you…”

“I know…” He said, his red eyes showing his broken heart. Before I could hear what he was going to say after I slipped into darkness.