Morrigan felt so nervous as she tightly clung to her sister Titania in their father’s barge. The carriage shaped barge their father Dagda had made for them from the waters of the sea sparkled in the sunlight whilst the kelpie their father had summoned pulled the carriage forward. Morrigan watched anxiously ahead as the familiar sight of waving purple grass and the gentle rolling slopes of Tir Na nÖg came into view.

Titania, her sister, was beside her gleaming bright in her golden happiness while Morrigan felt heavy inside like a cloud filled with rain. She stormed within, “I don't want to leave Brasil! I love my friends and dancing in the fields with them! Mother would let me return home to her garden if she were here!”, she thought bitterly as she watched her sister glow with excitement.

“Titania can be happy anywhere as long as father is near!”, she shouted in her mind, but outwardly she only scowled and twirled the water beside the boat to small whirling rings with her idle hand. “He needs to only play his harp and she is his, and she never played with any of the nymphs to miss them anyway!”, Morrigan thought scowling deeper.

“It's unfair that I should have to leave my mother alone! She will miss us on Brasil alone to herself, and who knows what she may do if she gets angry that we are gone! I hope the Nymphs are safe.”, she thought worrying for her friends upon Brasil.

The rolling pastures of violet grass gave way to mountains of pure white stone that stood starkly and proud against the blue of the sky as the holy isle of Tir Na nÓg arose in the far distance from the misty blue horizon of the sea. Morrigan could already see the tops of the golden towers of the Sepulchre of Akash, the palace of the Wyrd, coming into view.

The holy palace’s golden ramparts gleamed brightly as they slowly peaked over the sprawling and tall purple hilltops in the distance to their boat’s advance by sea. The whole of the isle seemed to glow in an otherworldly light as the three approached in the slow moving waters

“Damn”, Dagda thought as he watched the Kelpie struggle to move the charriot through the waves. “I’ve come late. The Wyrd have stilled the sea from unwanted guests. I will have to wait awhile until they notice my return before the Kelpie may swim free again.”

He sighed heavily to himself as he studied his children watching Tir Na nÓg rise slowly over the far horizon. He smiled a fatherly smile at his youngest daughter Titania’s bright and shining glow as she giggled over her view of the holy isle. Watching her delight made his old heart sing.

“It's worth being late to see her shine so”, he thought lovingly of Titania. He languidly laughed to himself as he thought, “I suppose I’d do anything to see her shine so brightly! I risked her mother's wrath when I played my little trick on her, so I must love my children more than even myself to invite such masochism on me!”, he chuckled as he gulped in a moment of fear thinking more of his offence against his powerful wife Danu, but he ceased him self from doing so. “Today is a happy day. Not one for that treacherous eel! She’ll never get free anyway”, he thought as he smiled deviously to no one but himself.

Dagda thought to himself, half thrilled in the thought, "Let her rage in her gardens with that worthless child of hers. I have my treasures by my side." With a sense of contentment, he gazed upon his daughters, taking pride in their royal beauty and strength. "They will thrive in court. They are truly my daughters, unlike the other one. But it doesn't matter now; it's all been settled and we're here at court now beyond Danu’s influence. Danu can no longer touch me," he thought with a satisfied smile on his face as he reminisced about how cleverly he had deceived his wife.

Dagda plucked at Uaithne's starry strings with his now idle thoughts letting soft notes ring out over the water as he contemplated to himself quietly in his mind where his children couldn’t hear his thoughts, “The Wyrd will see this all right. They are never wrong, and Danu will learn her place as my wife for once! I’ve endured enough with all her scandals! Let her endure one of my own!”, he thought with a smug little grin as he watched the Isle of Tir Na nÖg rise ahead quite slowly.

Morrigan sat herself beside her father and his harp, her eyes were fixed on the strings and Dagda’s hands as he plucked each note with miraculous hand, moving with ease over the invisible strings. Titania, her golden sister, sat next to her, both of them looking ahead at the holy isle of Tir Na nÓg coming into view. The sight should have been serene, but Morrigan couldn't shake off her doubts and concerns.

“Father, may we return home? I miss mother and the other nymphs!”, she complained as she hugged Titania for comfort, but her younger sister shoved her aside to better see the golden spires rising into view.

Titania took a moment to look at her sister with a scowl before turning back to the beautiful view as she said, “We only have just come, Morrigan! I want to see the Sepulchre! Don’t be selfish!”

Titania looked to Dagda with eager eyes full of excitement, “Father, don't listen to Morrigan!”, she begged with a child's enthusiasm, “I want to see the holy roots of Akash and I want to ride upon a unicorn! They still exist on Tir Na nÖg, don’t they father?”

Dagda, who rested on a bench towards the back of his carriage playing his harp Uaithne, looked at Titania with a coy smile. As he turned his back to Uaithne as he remarked back to Titania, “They do have unicorns upon the Tir Na nÖg, but even there they are uncommon, Little Sun. They are only truly common on the holy isle of Inis Fáil, and even there they only approach the pure and the most brave of hearts.”

“Do you think I will be able to ride on one?!”, Titania exclaimed even more excitedly upon hearing there would be unicorns on Tir Na nÓg. “Mother said she once rode one that looked like the night sky! His horn was a star! I want to ride on that unicorn!”, she declared happily, bouncing along with the rhythm of the sea.

Dagda’s smile dipped a moment as Titania spoke. He said in a father’s reassuring tone, “He is quite special, Little Sun. We will see if he chooses you, but don’t be sad and hide your beautiful light if he does not.” Dagda shifted himself so he could kiss Titania’s neck. His kiss suddenly made Titania smile and giggle and push her father away playfully at him tickling her.

“The Unicorn will adore your radiance, Little Sun!”, Dagda exclaimed with a bright smile, his autumn gold beard shining in the sunlight. “Who could resist letting you ride on their backs?” Dagda asked, pulling Titania closer and hugging her tightly against his body. “I certainly can’t resist giving you a hug!”, he exclaimed as he placed kisses on Titania’s glowing cheeks and face.

“Father! Will you listen?!”, yelled Morrigan, pouting and crossing her arms. “I want to go home, please! I miss my mother! Why could she not come?!”, insisted Morrigan furiously booming her voice louder with her art, forcing Dagda to cover his sensitive minstrel ears at her yelling at him.

Dagda's face contorted into a scowl at hearing Morrigan's loud complaining. She'd thrown a fit the whole way while she wasn’t awake. Dagda had kept her and Titania mostly in slumber with Uaithne’s song along the two day voyage from Brasil to Tir Na nÖg. Dagda found himself missing those quiet moments adrift at sea with his daughters slumbering soundly in his arms beneath the starlit heavens.

Listening to Morrigan’s wailing and her tears at missing Danu grated on his nerves. He considered playing Uaithne again to soothe Morrigan into slumber. He longed for the restful silence as he closed his eyes against listening to his daughter’s whining.

He calmly decided using reason was best now rather than suppression. Carrying Morrigan asleep all the way to the citadel to greet the Wyrd would have been awkward. Worse, Morrigan would miss her chance to present herself before the unicorn! Dagda wouldn't let her bad mood keep her nor him from enjoying her time on Tir Na nÓg. Dagda would see to it his daughters first day upon Tir Na nÓg and their Ascensions were perfect ones. With Uaithne's help, of course!

He petted Morrigan's lovely raven hair as he spoke in his smooth minstrel’s voice. A wind caught the strings of Uaithne causing them to vibrate with the soft current of air. Their faint hum lent Dagda's words power as he spoke into Morrigan's ear, “Little moon-”, he called her gently, “there will be so many new cousins of an age with you to befriend. Tir Na nÓg is vast and full of wonders to feast your mind on and explore! You will be happy in your new home!”, he whispered to her, letting his voice hypnotize her under Uaithne’s power.

Dagda stroked a stray black hair from Morrigan’s face. He peered into her silver eyes that watched back like two shining moons drifting always together, “You won't miss your mother Danu once we reach the shores, and you won't cry either. Will you, Little Moon?”, he asked her in a soft whisper as Uaithne's hypnotic notes rang clear in Morrigan's mind.

Morrigan suddenly was overcome with a sense of calm. The faint hum of Uaithne made Dagda’s words resonate in her mind like a hypnotic song. Morrigan languidly nodded her head, a child’s bright and excited smile slowly growing on her contented face.

“Will I also get to ride a unicorn, father?!”, asked Morrigan excitedly up at Dagda, her smile twinkling like starlight.

Dagda’s own smile gleamed brightly back at her as he spoke, “They will love everything about you as I do! The unicorn would be foolish not to accept you on their backs! You glow like starlight, Little Moon!”, he said, praising her and hugging her in his arms as he had with Titania.

Titania, feeling envious of Morrigan's attention, tugged at Dagda's arm desperately. "Father, when will we reach land? I'm tired of seeing fish and bobbing in the water! Can't we swim there instead? These kelpie you called upon are moving too slowly!", she pleaded with Dagda, her grip on his arm tightening with the expectation growing in her eyes.

Dagda, annoyed with Titania’s pulling, scooped her up into his arms along with Morrigan. He hugged them both and kissed their heads lovingly, “It has been a long journey, eh?”, he said as he rolled his eyes and thought to himself privately, “Glory, it’s almost over!”

As he sat with his daughters on his lap, he posed a question, "Shall I share a tale with you, my darlings? To fill the time until the Kelpie ferries us to land?"

Morrigan's silvery eyes shone with excitement as she turned to her father. Her pretty face still held a contented smile as she eagerly asked, "What story, father?"

Titania also looked enthusiastic as she shimmered a golden halo around herself. She clapped her hands together in anticipation and moved herself closer to Uaithne to hear Dagda’s story as she said, “Please tell us a story! I love your stories!”, she said half begging.

All Tuatha knew Dagda told the best stories, and Dagda’s daughters were always the most glad to listen to their father’s tales of boisterous heroes and dastardly plots. They both hugged Dagda close as they rested against the chariot barge’s bench together awaiting him to begin.

Dagda said, as he gave a wink to his harp Uaithne which began to play a soft melody, “Have I ever told you of the unicorn and how they came to be, Little Sun?”, he asked Titania, bopping her on the tip of her nose with his index fingertip.

She shook her head side to side as Dagda turned his wizened and simpering face to smile at Morrigan. “Have I told you, Little Moon, of the ways of the Unicorn?”

She nodded to affirm him, but looked afraid as she said, “But I will listen again!”, she said anxiously. “Will you tell Titania of the Unicorn? I will listen, father!”, she promised with a glowing smile as she hugged her father tight around the neck.

Dagda kissed both of Morrigan’s glowing cheeks. She beamed with a smile as pretty as a morning star against the dawn’s weak light as he said, “I would never deny you a story, Morrigan! A promise from me to you!”, he said as he held Morrigan tight to him.

Morrigan, delighted in her father, and held his promise in her heart. Morrigan loved her father’s stories, and always wished to hear them. She was comforted knowing she always could, so she returned his hug glowing with love.

As Uaithne began to play its soft tune a little louder Dagda began his tale, “Long ago,” he began, “as most tales go since all good tales only happen so, so long ago.”, he chuckled as Uaithne’s song sent the two girls into a lucid dream as they listened to their father’s words.

The dreaming girls both dreamed the same shared dream given to them by the harp’s rhythmic chords and their father’s silky voice. In their minds they saw vast prairies of silver grass growing in sloping fields spanning outward to the horizon in all directions.

The grass and even the ground below it lit from within with its own shining light, but a burning white star hovered anxiously above like a burning eye watching from the darkness. Strings of hot white fire warped the atmosphere of the sky and sent its burning luminescence outward across the illuminating clouds giving even the air a shimmering glow from the heat of the star’s angry fire.

Morrigan and Titania stood trembling among the waving silver grass in their shared dreams. Burning starlight fell like rain upon the silver grass and the prairies they both inhabited. The field where the drops of light fell was lit with a wildfire of hot blue flame. The path in the sky the droplets of light had taken to reach the prairie also lit with bright blue flame spreading from the paths of the light and expanding out across the ground and the whole sky.

The dream blinded Morrigan and Titania's vision with smoldering ash and destruction reigning all around them. The beautiful prairies of silver grass were no more as the world they both occupied was consumed in a whirlwind of smoke and blue fire. The heat oppressing their every breath as they dreamed under Uaithne’s song.

“It’s frightening father!”, screamed Titania from Uaithne’s dream. She clung to her father as she begged him, “Tell me no more!”

Morrigan reached over her father and covered Titania’s mouth with her hands. “Speak on, father! I want to hear the rest!”, Morrigan insisted angrily. “You promised me!”, she insisted while holding Titania’s mouth closed.

Dagda grabbed Morrigan’s hands off her sister and sat her down on the bench beside himself. He clung to her tight as he said, “I’ll not be telling you anything if you’re going to bully your sister! Promise or not! Apologize to her for putting your hands over her mouth!”, Dagda insisted with a scowl.

Morrigan gave Dagda back her own scowl as she crossed her arms and huffed. “I’m sorry, Titania!”, she said, frowning over Dagda at her sister.

Titania sniffled and dried her tears from her mean looking eyes. She pouted to her father, “Father, do I have to forgive her? She doesn’t mean it! She never does! I hate you Morrigan!”, Titania decided, sticking her tongue out at her sister over Dagda who frowned down at her with her tongue out.

At first Dagda was somewhat proud his children had so easily pulled themselves from his story and Uaithne’s dream, but the bickering of children shortly overwhelmed him as he rolled his eyes at Titania’s silly question and her shouting at her sister that followed there after.

He replied bluntly as Uaithne’s twinkling strings began to ring out, “Yes, Titania! Forgive your sister and listen to the story!”, he commanded as his power and the sounds of his harp coaxed his daughters into better and more agreeable moods.

Titania smiled at Morrigan and stated, “I forgive you, and I’m sorry we fought! Forgive me for stopping the story?” She reached out her hand to hold Morrigan’s with a child’s worried eyes.

Morrigan accepted graciously her sister’s apology as she clasped her hand and said, “I forgive you. Is it okay if we finish? I think you will like the next part more!”

Titania looked to her father Dagda for assurance as she said, “Will I, father? I don’t like to be scared!”, she declared loudly with tears coming to her eyes.

Dagda hugged Titania close as Uaithne’s sweet and hypnotic song filled the air. He kissed her tears away and said, “It’s as your sister says, Little Sun. Only the start is scary, but the rest is a happy tale. One you must know to ride on a unicorn’s back!”, he announced as a fact.

Dagda petted away stands of Titania’s glowing golden hair from her brow and spoke softly along with Uaithne’s hypnotic hum. “You wish to ride a unicorn when we reach Tir Na nÖg, don’t you, Little Sun?”

Titania looked at her father and nodded vigorously at the idea of riding a unicorn. She nearly screamed in her excitement for it, “I do, father! I do!”, she said practically foaming at the mouth over the idea.

Dagda’s smile cocked sideways coyly in a grin as he said, “Then can you be brave for me and listen to the rest of my story, Little Sun?”

Titania arranged herself so her head laid at her father’s lap as she said, “I will listen, father. Please tell me!”, she said whilst grabbing Morrigan’s hand for comfort.

Morrigan, too, placed her head on her father’s lap in anticipation of him beginning his tale again. She clasped her sister’s hand into her own and smiled sweetly to her, and Titania returned that smile with her own as Uaithne’s silvery notes began to crescendo them into a dream.

Again the blue fires raged in their minds, but Titania held firm her sister’s hand and endured the terror with her. The azureous fires swept up the two girls in a whirlwind of blue and white light. The two were sent careening high up through the air and into a dark sea of countless stars.

They watched as the world they had once stood on was destroyed by the flames of the burning starlight. The lands and golden seas of the now burning world were crushed and pulverized under the force of the star’s gravity. The rocky corpse of the dying world began to fracture and splinter into burning chunks of flaming stone hurtling out in every direction from the darkness.

Titania marveled wordlessly at the fast speeding comets and meteors splintering off from the destruction of the world below her. The massive stones collided with each other and scattered out across the stars. They flung themselves, glimmering in a silver flaming glow as the blue fire ignited the rocks and sent them hurling into darkness.

Errant rocks and debris flung all about the sisters as Titania clung tighter to Morrigan. In her mind she heard Dagda’s voice telling her, “Long ago, there was a moon that glowed brighter than the one you know now. Its surface was a sea of silver grass and lakes of molten gold.

“My mothers, the Wyrd, once told me that this moon did once outshine the jealous sun. That once when the worlds were new the pure light of this moon granted life and happiness to the creatures in the world below it, to our isle of Tir Na nÖg.”, said Dagda as Uaithne played.

The two girls spied a blue and spinning orb rotating in the dark from beyond where the burning star consumed the moon. The world shined with a radiant golden halo which protected it from the star’s bright power. The two sisters watched the spinning world with anxious worry as the star’s radiant light shone bright against it.

“The nymphs and sprites, the Fal Bolg as we know them, they once worshiped this now dead moon’s false light over Akash’s sun. They called their moon Theia meaning mother’s light in their most ancient tongue.”, Dagda said in earnest. “In the mighty Akash’s jealousy over her children's worship of a false mother she reigned her fire across that once silver world of glowing light!”, spoke Dagda over the sounds of crashing rocks and sizzling flame. “Our mother Akash would suffer no false deity above herself!”, he shouted out over the explosive power of burning rocks crashing.

“For their neglect of the All- mother’s bright glory their false mother was burned away, her rocky corpse tossed in a thousand shards across the heavens!”, Dagda shouted, but his shouting was almost a whisper against the roaring of the meteors exploding against one another as Akash burned away Theia’s rocky body in their dream.

Excitement lit up Titania's eyes as she pointed and exclaimed to Dagda, "Look, Father! A unicorn!" She yelled, pointing at a shimmering light in the distance.

Dagda smiled as he told them, “When the moon’s body had been blown away and scattered, all that was left was the heart of this once glowing world. Its light outshone even Akash's bright power, and in its light the first of the unicorns was born!”, Dagda announced excitedly as the first unicorn emerged from Theia’s glowing silver light.

The two girls watched the first of the unicorn sprout out from the remaining light of the destroyed moon. His dark and starry foal body fell into a pool of glowing dust, his shining horn trailing its light like a falling comet shimmering in the fine cloud of debris.

Dagda spoke again low and proclaimed as the unicorn emerged galloping and fully grown from the cloud of diamond dust, “His name is Dub Sainglend, king of Unicorns, protector of the most holy isle of Inis Fáil! It was he who emerged from Theia's dying light!”, Dagda sang out as Uaithne played her strings faster and sang her beautiful melody out into the starlight.

Titania gasped and clung to Morrigan excitedly as she watched Dub Sainglend gallop majestically around the glowing light he had only just emerged from. His flowing mane and gallop trailed glittering stardust as he pranced into a fast run.

The clouds of moon debris swept up in his gallop. The glamorous light of the unicorn’s horn caught fire to the debris. A sparkling white flame seared the dust and followed Dub Sainglend around the light as he galloped proudly before the raging star creating a protective ring of power to defend his shining mother.

As Uaithne's voice echoed through the air, Dagda spoke with intense fervor. "The star unleashed its wrath upon Dub Sainglend! Akash's radiance burned bright above it. She was furious for not completely obliterating her enemy, and her glorious light rained down upon the newly born unicorn!”

The two children watched with eyes of panic as Akash's flames seared through the darkness and attacked Dub Sainglend. The flames of light extended like whips of fire striking at the starry unicorn as he galloped, but the fire did not slow his rapid gait. Onward he flew like a blazing comet past the whipping fires of Akash, out running them.

The fires of Akash curled and tangled themselves within the burning dust and debris of Dub Sainglend’s flaming tail. They became tied together and joined with Dub Sainglend's light. The light behind him began taking shapes as the cloud of fire formed a burning circle trailing behind him creating a burning ring of golden light.

Dagda's voice rang out with joy as he sang to his daughters, "Light and stardust swirled together and took shape, giving birth to the magnificent Unicorn!", he said smiling at Titania who couldn’t contain herself looking at the marvelous herd running through the stars.

Morrigan and Titania were delighted as Dub Sainglend raced forward, and the halo of light surrounding him shifted its shape again. The blazing mist that had been trailing behind transformed into a pack of radiant unicorns, Dagda proclaimed with pride to his daughters as he announced the birth of the new unicorn, “Dub Sainglend used his great power and Akash’s own together and bound their lights into the forms of his children, his shining herd!”

The sisters stood in awe as they examined that the bodies of the unicorn emitted an ethereal iridescence, illuminated by the lost Theia's light within them. The girls watched with wonder as the unicorn pranced in a concentric circle around Theia’s remaining light shining in the circle’s center. The Unicorn’s fast gallop became wider and more encompassing as it also swept up the shining blue world of Tir Na nÖg which had evaded Akash's destruction with its golden aura protecting it in its orbit around the angry Akash.

The wayward Tir Na nÖg and Theia's shimmering radiance merged together, moving in perfect harmony like a celestial waltz under the guiding hand of the Unicorn. The golden aura of the blue world blended with the Unicorn's own, infusing their horns and hooves with a protective gold on their hooves as they navigated through the star's fiery curses which Akash still hurtled at Dub Sainglend from the darkness.

“They won’t be burned will they, father?!”, cried out Titania from her dream as she reached out protectively trying to defend the prancing Unicorn with her own might.

Dagda chuckled aloud as he put her outstretched hands down to her lap and said, “If they had burned would you be able to ride one when we reach the shore? Listen on to know what happens, child.”, Dagda said as he patted Titania’s golden head.

Dagda continued speaking through Uaithne's haunting melody and Titania's dream, "Despite Akash's relentless attack, the children of Theia stood bravely in defense of their mother and did not succumb. In a remarkable union with our land of Tir Na nÖg, they joined in an eternal dance. Even the All-Mother was impressed by this display of unity, no longer blinded by Theia's radiance. She called off her assault on Dub Sainglend and his noble herd," Dagda said excitedly as he picked up Titania and gently sat her on his knee. "This is why all beings worship and adore these majestic creatures. Their nobility is unquestionable, even to a powerful god like Akash," he whispered to his children, looking around cautiously to make sure he wouldn't be punished for saying such things in front of them.

Titania and Morrigan thrilled as they watched in their dream as Akash’s light changed its luminescence from a raging fire to a shimmering gold. Dub Sainglend and his unicorn herd followed the track of golden light Akash’s star provided for them. Their coats shined with Akash’s golden brilliance and reflected her beauty back to her.

The golden light became fields of blowing golden wheat and a sky lit with iridescent and rainbow clouds. The track bent and globed around Dub Sainglend and the Unicorn following him. The globe encompassed the light of Theia as well, trapping both the Unicorn and the moon’s remaining light in a globe of golden power that floated shimmering around fair Tir Na nÖg.

The formed and shining golden globe changed yet again in its transformation before Morrigan and Titania. The orb reformed its golden brilliance to a silvery shine, taking on Theia’s light. The silver moon dazzled in its brilliance dancing its waltz around the remaining blue world. The silver moon and the blue orb followed the golden track of Akash's sunlight on a stable course around Akash’s golden body, the three bound together, dancing together, forever.

“It's beautiful!”, remarked Titania in awe of the dream and Akash’s beautiful shining.

“Our world and our mother Akash are both a wondrous thing, indeed, Little Sun!”, Dagda said aloud as a fatherly whisper in her ear. “You must honor and respect her power, hone her gifts she gives you and one day she will give you a beautiful child like you are to me!”, he said kissing Titania’s smiling cheeks.

Dagda pointed out to Titania to the worlds dancing together around her. “Do you see that world shining blue?”

Titania grew excited as she spoke, “Yes, father! I see it!”

Dagda whispered to Titania as if he told her a secret only she could know. She felt special and smiled widely at her father's words as he spoke them, “This world could be yours and your sisters one day, child.”, he whispered through a smile, “But you must remember always that this world is shared across many lands, by many races of people. Did you know?”, he asked with a smile, but expectant eyes.

Titania nodded wildly as she said proudly, “I do know that father! There are three races! Fomorians, Fal Bolg, and us, Tuatha Dea!”, she said squealing and joyful at being right about her Father’s question.

Dagda smiled down at Titania’s happy face, “That's very well said, my darling Sun! There are three races of the Sidhe, that is true.”, he said, nodding as he smiled. He took his index finger and bopped Titania's little nose as he said, “But there are more races who do not enjoy the comforts of belonging to our fair court, my child.”, he said, frowning. “They dwell far from us, and they cannot fully see Akash’s light anyway. Not all of Akash's creatures were gifted as well as we of the Sidhe! Be wary of them!”, he told her as a warning.

He turned Titania's eyes with Uaithne's song to focus on the vision of the silver light and the blue world dancing before Akash. “Since you are so clever do you know what binds us all then? How are we all children of Akash, Little Sun?”

Titania's bright smile lost some of its shine as she furled her brow and racked her mind for an answer to her father's question. To her saving, Morrigan who had until now been eagerly listening to her father's story chimed in, “I know, Father! May I tell her?!”, she asked eagerly.

Morrigan's face was glowing as Dadga turned to her and gave a curious smile before saying, "Alright, Little Moon. How are we all connected by the All-Mother?"

Morrigan beamed at Dagda's approving smile, eager to share her storytelling skills and impress her father. From her spot beside Dagda, Morrigan reached out with her mind and connected with Uaithne. Using her gifts, she plucked the invisible strings of the harp in perfect sequence, creating a symphony that filled the sky. Each note was played proudly by Morrigan as the music soared through the air.

The sound created from Morrigan's art enticed and enchanted not only her younger sister Titania, but her father Dagda himself was caught up in Uaithne’s melodious dream. The sights of the golden Akash and the two dancing worlds returned to their minds in a whirl of images before their eyes as Morrigan began to tell her part of the story.

“The light of Akash welcomed the noble Dub Sainglend’s herd and Theia's brilliance into her court. The two danced before the mighty Akash, locked in their eternal rotation.”, she began, excitedly telling the story over Uaithne playing behind her words.

The dream changed along with the tempos of Uaithne’s playing and around them peaceful pastures appeared of green grass sloping down into forests full with wild wonders. Strange hairy creatures walked on two legs in the blowing fields beyond the forest and led strange four legged beasts on ropes in the grass as they watched a shining meteor fall from high above the clouds.

“Theia’s shattered bones scattered far and wide, and upon her breaking she splintered herself and her light across all realities, binding them to herself.”, said Morrigan instructively to her sister who watched the light-less creatures cowering before the falling meteor with a scowl, “They’re so weak!”, she said to Morrigan, “What are they?”

Titania had never seen such a dull world with dull and small creatures. The strange beings bore no light, and looked closer to Titania’s mind to the curious beasts they led than anything like herself. She watched them with suspicion as Dagda spoke and answered for Morrigan, “They are mortals, child. They matter not, watch the star before them!”, he said shouting over the sounds of the meteor’s impact as it hit the open field.

Morrigan continued to speak as Uaithne's song dulled the clamorous sounds of exploding earth under the force of the falling star. “Theia’s many bones fell to every possible world, over every possible reality. Even here in the middle lands where mortals bear no light did a fragment of Theia’s shattered body fall to bless their world with her presence.”, explained Morrigan calling out over notes of Uaithne.

The dream shifted once more and the three of them were back on the same field, but this time the grass was a bright purple, swaying in the light of an exploding star. The landscape remained the same, with rolling hills and familiar shapes. In another instant, the field transformed again, now covered in vibrant blue grass while the same star continued to burn brightly before them.

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Morrigan revealed, "The bones of Theia have fallen to the same spot in every conceivable world that is linked to Tir Na nÖg's destiny, intertwined with Akash's radiance and her own predetermined path!" As the burning star plummeted towards them, its light pierced through the sky like a sword. Morrigan declared with a somber tone, gazing at Titania in her dream, "Our fates are forever intertwined! It is fate that binds us all together!"

Titania’s scowl faded as she saw again the unicorn prancing in circles around the upwardly expanding beam of brilliant starlight. “The unicorn returned!”, said Titania enthusiastically reaching out to touch them.

“Yes.”, said Morrigan with a coy smile, lowering Titania’s arms as her father had done. “The unicorn are attracted and protective of their mother's light. Her bones and Akash’s star are shared throughout every world! We all depend on her light to give us life, and Theia's body gave us balance!”, Morrigan said happily to Titania and her father who crossed his arms to his daughter's answer.

“That's mostly right, but you missed parts, but no matter you have the gist of it.”, he remarked coolly. “When did you learn to play Uaithne’s strings so well, Little Moon?”, Dagda said curiously as he stopped the dream and Morrigan's playing of his harp.

Morrigan looked very confused at her father's question, “What do you mean? You taught me, father!”, she said mildly, as a concern grew on her face.

Dagda's smile faltered, confusion and nerves mixing on his face. "I did?" he asked, not sure when or how he could have had the honor of doing such a thing, "When was that, Little Moon?", he asked pointedly.

“Every time you play I watch your hands! You taught me!”, she said with a large smile and her moonlit eyes gleaming bright. Morrigan’s smile began to fade like the moon before the sun, “Did I do it poorly, father? I will watch your hands better before I play Uaithne again!”, she promised as her lovely smile returned to her face. “You will just have to honor your words so I may see you play your harp even more!”, she said glowing with her happiness at hearing more of her father’s tales.

“Aye.”, said her father with an uneasy smile. “Most cannot even see the strings, Little Moon. You can see my strings to touch them?”, he asked Morrigan with his voice rising a little in anger. “When could you do so, Little Moon?” Dagda’s eyes narrowed jealously as he spoke, “I, myself, could not even touch Uaithne till I was past performing the Rite of Wishing and being granted a conduit of my own. It is unusual Uaithne would allow you to stroke a melody from her let alone touch her having only completed your Ascension.”, he said as he rose up to his feet over Morrigan who backed from him into the corner of the barge as he asked angrily now, “How did you come to know Uaithne’s touch without my knowing, Little Moon? What plots have you a need to return to your mother to complete that you cannot go to learn our ways at the feet of your grandmothers?! What are you hiding from me!? Answer me!”, Dagda shouted as Uaithne struck a cacophony of sour notes behind him making the kelpie cry tears of gold in pain from the harsh sound.

The carriage trembled and rocked as the kelpie leaped from the frothy sea, their sapphire and lapis lazuli coat of scales drenched and shimmering. Uaithne's strings quivered and hummed with a haunting melody, causing the kelpie's eyes to widen in fear and confusion. Titania's flowing golden dress of ruffles and flowers and Morrigan's more somber but elegant red robes like rose petals were billowed wildly in the winds as they clung onto the glassy carriage bench.

Dagda quickly grabbed hold of Titania lifting her with him into the air and letting Morrigan slip into the sea. Uaithne plucked a more harmonious chord, and the carriage regained its balance in the water. Although Morrigan was still floundering and disoriented in her confusion in the slow moving waters.

Morrigan called out to her father who hovered in the air holding Titania tightly against him, her eyes clouding over in tears. “What have I done to offend you, father?! I do not understand!”, Morrigan cried as she tried to tread the thick and viscous water. Morrigan felt herself sliding down into the cold sea more and more by the moment. Again she cried out to her father Dagda, “I will not play Uaithne no longer, father!”, she swore. “Mother does not even know I play your harp! I wanted to surprise you with it! I thought you would be proud, father, please! I cannot swim in this water!”, Morrigan begged through her sapphire tears which were swallowed up into the blue of the sea with each drop.

Dagda carefully analyzed his daughter's words as she spoke, listening closely to the notes played on Uaithne's glittering strings. His ancient harp carved from a single strand of Akash’s glowing root could detect any lies told in its presence, and would have strummed Morrigan’s lying words away from reality if they were present. However, Dagda heard every word that came from her lips. As Morrigan spoke, Uaithne's strings lay completely still, not making a single sound.

Dagda wrinkled his small nose at Morrigan and her words. His eyes still narrowed in suspicion of her, but his demeanor quickly reverted and he was again happy and smiling to Morrigan as he spoke, “It seems we misunderstood one another, Little Moon. I must amend!”, said Dagda gleefully as Uaithne played a happy jig loudly at Dagda’s command.

Dagda reached his long arms into the sea and plucked Morrigan from the blue waters as a rare water lily into his loving hands. “I am sorry, my darling love! I should not have been cross with you. You played Uaithne beautifully for a novice, my Little Moon. I should have recognized your talents!”, he said frowning at her looking pitiful as he continued speaking, “I will let you play Uaithne from time to time, but only when you are with me, of course!”, he said more sternly giving Morrigan a serious look. “My harp isn’t a toy.”, he said looking to both his daughters, “You must respect Uaithne’s power!”, he warned his daughters sternly, glaring especially hard at Morrigan who averted her eyes down to her father’s gaze on her.

He looked around himself and Uaithne played its jig even more loudly as he whispered in Morrigan’s ear, “But never tell your mother nor your grandmothers that I have taught you to play my harp!”, he said with a look of seriousness on his golden brow. “Mind me, or you’ll play Uaithne no more and worse!”, he vowed as a threat to Morrigan with his eyes flashing a spark of sharp blue light. The light felt ominous in Morrigan’s eyes.

Morrigan comprehended her father's stern tone and the menacing look in his eyes. She nodded solemnly, acknowledging his warning to keep her playing of Uaithne a secret from anyone else. She kissed his cheek and reassured him, "I promise not to betray your trust, Father.", she said as the moonlight of her eyes fled the clouds of her tears.

She looked at her sister Titania sitting in her golden gown upon the chariots glassy bench. Her ruffles cascaded down into a simmering train of light that trailed along in the sea behind the chariot as she cried. Her normal halo of gold dulled around her with her worry as she silently watched the argument unfold between Dagda and her sister Morrigan. Morrigan pointed to Titania, “Father, you must do something about Titania if you would keep our newest vow to one another alive and true. She knows the secret you would have me keep!”, said Morrigan, sticking her tongue out at her little sister through her smug smile.

Dagda had turned from Morrigan and had not seen her making faces at her sister behind his back. Titania fumed at being left out while Morrigan got to learn to play Uaithne but she did not, and her sister’s face irritated her as she spoke making her tone even harsher, “Father! Why am I not allowed to touch Uaithne?! I am your daughter, too! It is only fair that I should learn as well!”, she cried to Dagda.

Titania's attention shifted towards Morrigan, her aura of light bursting out and surrounding the carriage as she shouted, "You always do this to me! You constantly leave me out and prevent me from making friends! And now you're denying me my right to Uaithne! You are not a sister to me, Morrigan!", said Titania standing to point and shout at Morrigan who smiled back silently smirking at Titania’s sudden burst of rage.

Titania's aura glimmered and grew hotter with every word from her mouth, “I will not let you shut me out again!” She tightly gripped the edge of the watery chariot, which now steamed under her touch, soothing the fiery rage within her. In a low voice filled with her barely contained fury, she turned to her father Dagda and asked, "You are Uaithne’s master, father. Not Morrigan!”, she said sticking her own tongue out at Morrigan before turning her eyes quickly back her father, “May I learn to play her?"

Dagda pondered over Titania's words, feeling trapped by her request. Her sad eyes melted his resolve and he found himself saying, "Very well, Little Sun. Let us see your prowess with Uaithne's song. If you can pluck at least three strings, I will give you lessons alongside your sister. I swear it." He couldn't resist adding a smirk, confident that Titania lacked the patience and wit for such a task, unlike Morrigan. As he made this promise to her, he felt safe in the knowledge that she would never be able to fulfill it. "She won't even see the strings...I'll only need to teach Morrigan," he thought smugly.

Dagda turned to face Titania, his ancient and kingly grandeur emanating from him in waves of shimmering gold. His light enveloped her, overpowering her own radiance as she rapidly diminished and was forced to sit on the bench behind herself to catch her balance. He then looked at Morrigan before speaking to Titania, “Since you must always have what Morrigan has, my Little Sun,” Dagda said smiling in his brilliance, “You must swear to honor the same vows your sister has given to play Uaithne’s song. You must tell no one I have taught you my music! Do you promise it?”, said Dagda as he stared daggers at Titania who became more and more frightened of his eyes as he peered at her sitting before him.

Dagda placed a hand over his glowing heart as he made his promise to teach Titania. “I will teach you, but you must swear.” As Dagda spoke his radiant aura began to grow hot. It wilted the flowers of Titania’s gown as he gazed at Titania, her shimmering gold garments lost their luster and took on a dull bronze hue. With a serious tone and lightning in his eyes, Dagda asked her again more loudly, "Do you swear?!"

Titania gasped and shook at the heat of her father’s aura. She removed her glittering laced shawl which began to rat and fray at its ends into fine unwoven threads. She dabbed the sweat forming at her brow as she hesitated a moment to agree. Titania looked at Morrigan’s smug face smiling defiantly out at her from behind Dagda’s glittering aura. Morrigan’s shining moonlit eyes peered mischievously though the haze of Dagda’s brilliant shine, insulting Titania with their happy glow.

Titania rose up from her bench looking into Morrigan’s smiling eyes. She hated her sister. She would not let Morrigan win Uaithne and their father’s love from her. Morrigan had already stolen Danu’s affection from her often enough! Titania’ decided, “I swear it, father! I will play your harp!”

Titania’ looked at Morrigan’s shining eyes and exclaimed proudly, “Three strings is not so many! If Morrigan can play so can I!”, Titania declared before her sister as the golden shine returned to her flowing garments and the flowers of her dress began to re-bloom now that she had sworn. Dadga diminished his light and allowed Titania again to shine beautifully now that she had sworn Morrigan’s promise.

“Very well!”, he said happily to his daughters. “Then let us begin this test! Uaithne, if you will?”, said Dagda with his sly smile feeling confident Titania could never pluck the strings on his harp.

Uaithne glided out gracefully in front of Titania. The ancient harp emanated a beautiful rainbow light from its scrolling neck and glittering soundboard. Ancient Fey runes, the mother tongue of the Fal Bolg, gleamed along the length of it in shining script.

Morrigan mouthed the ancient words inscribed on Uaithne to herself under her father’s hearing. She did not know how she knew what the runes meant, and their meaning played in her mind, “Daur Dá Bláo”, she said quietly to herself. “Oak of Two Meadows?”, she thought to herself. She had seen her father’s temper flare over her playing his harp. She did not wish to risk more of his ire by letting him know she could read his runes, but Morrigan contemplated the meaning of the runes to herself in silence as she had often done when her father’s harp was present. She smiled excitedly as she averted her eyes to see Titania. Morrigan grinned as she waited also for Titania to fail to pluck the strings of Uaithne.

Dadga quieted his harp’s strings for Titania. Uaithne’s strings while moving had glittered with a starry light in Titania’s vision. Titania narrowed her eyes trying to find the strings now they silenced their hum and ceased moving, but they were invisible. She moved around the harp searching for the strings. Titania’ tried to place her hand between the neck and soundboard to feel where the strings should be, but her hand passed through without obstruction.

Titania stomped her feet and shook the sea into shallow waves at her frustration. Dagda covered his smile with his hand trying not to laugh at his daughter’s puckered and angry face as she looked in vain for his string. “Is there something wrong, Little Sun? Have you given up on playing for us already? I was excited to hear you make Uaithne sing!”, Dagda said with a smirk at Titania’s swinging her fists through Uaithne but hitting no notes on the celestial harp.

“It isn’t fair, father! Why can Morrigan play Uaithne, but I am unable?! We are sisters!”, Titania screamed punching her hands still through the silent Uaithne, “I will not be left behind and forgotten like Eriu! I can play Uaithne, too!”

Dagda's demeanor shifted, his comely but wise face twisted with disappointment and sadness upon hearing his failed daughter’s name. He had left Eriu behind with Danu in Brasil. “One so weak as she did not belong on the holy isle of Tir Na nÖg.”, He bellowed, "We do not utter her name!" but Titania, still consumed in her angry ambition, struck through the middle of her father’s harp and suddenly Uaithne who was silent began to sing.

Once, twice, and then once more again the notes of Uaithne rang out like bells under Titania’s shining balled fists. She continued striking and punching Uaithne’s strings with her fists making more notes as Dagda and Morrigan stared on with their mouth agape at her success.

“I told you I could play Uaithne, father!”, she said punching the strings and making them sing out in strange and confusing sounds. Uaithne squalled as a pig, and then crowed as cock, and her next jab made Uaithne bark like a dog!”

Dagda seized his hovering harp from before Titania and yelled, “Stop!” As he screamed Uaithne silenced its shrill barking. “Very well you may learn to play the harp like your sister!”, Dagda said venting his frustration and examining Uaithne’s strings for damage. He allowed the strings to play in harmony, but each key was wrong. Dagda glowered thinking of his promise to train Titania to play Uaithne and how often he would need to tune his harp after each lesson.

Dagda sighed and clutched his brow on his seat on the bench beside Morrigan who giggled still from watching Titania play their father’s instrument. He turned behind to address the slow kelpie who pulled the carriage, “You are perhaps the slowest beasts in all creation! Move your tails faster!”, he commanded the kelpie with gritted teeth, letting his power shine as a threat. The kelpie neighed their ringing nays and beat their sapphire scaled tails harder in the syrupy sea water.

“I think they go as fast as they are able, father.”, said Morrigan as she reached out to pet the kelpie’s slippery scaled backs. The braying kelpie sang to her touch as she thought and asked her father, “Why have the Wyrd Mothers not seen us? They should have invited us to shore by now, surely?”, she asked concerned as the clouds of worry passed over her silver eyes.

Dagda rolled his own azure blue eyes thinking on the reason they still floated at sea. “It is likely because of your uncle Bres, king of Atlantis, husband to your aunt Brigid who you’ve never met, my beauties.”, Dagda said waving Morrigan off, “He attends Court this very day, and where Bres treads trouble is sure to follow close behind. He distracts the Wyrd from noticing us, I am sure.”, he said feeling suddenly more weary. “He’s a thorn in everyone’s side, my darlings. I’m warning you as your father to stay away from Bres, please! I am asking you both to do as I say.”, he commanded sternly looking between Morrigan and Titania.

Morrigan yet played with the kelpie as Dagda spoke looking away from his warning. Her ignoring of his words suddenly irritated the weary Dagda and he shouted In a clear tone filled with malice at her. He shouted, but with Uaithne’s poor strumming playing behind each of his threatening words. “Turn to face me when I speak, Morrigan!”, he said as Uaithne croaked out like a frog in a pond with every one of his angry words spoken.

Morrigan did turn to face Dagda’s stern face, but the croaking of Uaithne made her sparkle and laugh. Titania also laughed in a golden halo at Uaithne’s croaking out every note as her father yelled. Dadga clutched his temples in a tired frustration as he screamed out up at the sky, “Mothers above, liberate me from my children!”, he shouted in annoyance.

As if the Wyrd had heard Dagda’s plea to be free from his children a ray of light shone out like a beacon from the highest tower of the Sepulcher of Akash. The ray enveloped the carriage in a warm glow and the water beneath the carriage began to flow and churn freely for the kelpie’s dazzling jeweled tails.

The waters surged and dragged the kelpie and carriage towards the shores of Tir Na nÖg quickly now. Dadga's smile stretched wide, his aura radiating with joy as he brought his children both into a close embrace with him. As he hugged Morrigan and Titania tightly together he exclaimed proudly,"We have arrived, my beauties! Welcome to Tir Na nÖg!", he exclaimed as the majestic violet grass and golden towers of the holy isle came into view at a rapid pace.

After the kelpie had swam tirelessly to reach the shore, their long tails wagged dazzlingly with excitement as they emerged from the water and onto the sparkling diamond sands of Tir Na nÖg. The sun glistened on their bodies and carriage as a wave washed them up to land. The kelpie’s bodies and the carriage broke as their own wave under Dagda and his daughters which carried them, standing upright together, over the diamond sparkling sand and into the soft violaceous grass.

Dadga saw ahead, past the grove of singing willows that billowed in the breeze shaking their leaves that rang out into the cool spring air like silver bells chiming. There before him approached a glittering host of spritely Fal Bolg to greet Dagda and his lovely daughters waiting in the grass. The Fal Bolg bore banners which burned brightly with the symbols of Dagda’s house. A golden harp enveloping a silver moon with three stars hovering above the harp shone like sunlight through the limbs of trees as the bright host made their advance through the forest path from the Palace of the Wyrd to attend and welcome Dagda to Court.

Dagda’s crest held many meanings to the Tuatha and the other races of the Sidhe. Chief among of them was his gold harp which enveloped the silver moon, a symbol of the lost goddess Theia. All Fal Bolg still mourned the loss of their silver mother. Dagda had conquered their goddess’s dying light, and he had stolen the ancient stone tree Lia Fáil from the Fal Bolg! Dagda had once ended the war between the Fal Bolg and the Fomorians when he had used Uaithne to drive Dub Saingland from his pastures upon Inis Fáil. The silver moon stood as a symbol of oppression to the Fal Bolg for Dagda’s trickery of them and his theft! Though the Fal Bolg bore the badge of their oppressor proudly above them, no Fal Bolg smiled in their approach of their king.

“You will mind yourselves when you are brought before your grandmothers.”, Dagda said looking sternly between Titania’s golden smile and Morrigan’s silver one. “You will not say more than what you are asked.”, he commanded looking Morrigan in her eyes. “Especially you.”, Dagda said darkly at Morrigan, whose shining eyes began to cloud in worry. “You will stay near me and make sure Uaithne does not sing. I do not have the time to tune her before we will be brought before the Wyrd Mothers. You can manage to keep her silent, can’t you?”, he asked with suspicious eyes.

“Of course, father. I will not let her sing.”, Morrigan said softly looking to her feet as she walked over to the flying harp and took it to clasp against herself. The dazzling instrument protested its being snatched from the air and tried to leave her arms. Morrigan resisted the firm pull of the harp and she held it firm in her hands so not even the strings could sound out. Uaithne’s invisible strings lay motionless, muted against her body.

“Good.”, he remarked coolly as the host approached. Dagda looked before him and saw that the host was led by a tall and beautiful Fal Bolg known to the palace as Idunn. Idunn had always existed upon Tir Na nÖg. The lands and gardens of the holy isle willingly obeyed her tending of them, and welcomed her approach.

Her gowns fell around her and waved violet along with the blowing grass as the very grass bound into knots and patterns making her a flowing gown of elegance suiting her beauty as she passed by. The knots shifted and changed in her moving and returned to their blowing in the wind as she walked further in her path. She floated before her a shining red apple of rare beauty. The light of Akash glowed from within and bloomed silver blooms upon the apple’s golden stem.

Idunn’s apple, Úll her shining conduit, was her gift from the Wyrd for tending the unicorn of Tir Na nÖg faithfully for the Wyrd Mothers and their children. Idunn for her gifts to the Wyrd was also one of the few Fal Bolg allowed to bathe in the shining pools of the holy isle Inis Fáil. A gift to her and her son for her tending the grounds of the Wyrd’s vast and mighty citadel and sprawling lands of Tir Na nÖg along with her Fal Bolg. Inis Fáil’s silver beauty shone bright in her light as she approached.

Idunn emerged from the forest and to the pasture as silver flowers followed and bloomed before her and followed her as a flowing train on which the shining host was guided to greet their Lord, King Dagda, Minstrel of Akash.

Idunn’s voice sang out sweetly like the sounds of song birds to greet her lord, “Hail, Dagda, King of Brasil, Minstrel of the Sidhe, First of the Tuatha! We welcome thee!”, she said kindly to Dagda as her long silver braids bloomed with ivory apple blossoms at her smile. “The Wyrd Mothers await you upon their starry throne, but you perhaps have kept them long from their weaving? They grow cross with everyone.”, she said shyly bowing her head, “They have a great need of you and Uaithne at court, My King. They asked me to see you direct to them.”

Idunn looked up from her bowed head with her violet shining eyes at Morrigan and Titania standing like visions of loveliness behind their noble father. “I will have my own child, my son Aedin, escort your beautiful daughters to the palace gates and then to you, my king. If you will allow it?”

“See it done, but Titania only! Morrigan will come with me to see the Wyrd.”, said Dagda dismissing himself from Titania and marching himself through the grass towards the Wyrd’s Palace.

Titania pouted in protest at being excluded. She let her golden halo dim as she cried out, “Why can I not go with you, Father?!” Titania shoved aside Morrigan holding Uaithne and ran to Dagda’s side and seized his arm from leaving her. “I want to meet our Grandmothers!”, she begged him, “Why does Morrigan get to go, but I can’t!?” Titania looked at Morrigan standing with a smirk holding the quivering Uaithne in her arms. Morrigan’s eyes shone like two happy moons at Titania’s distress as she stood silently holding her father’s celestial harp.

Dagda became frustrated and embarrassed at his daughter’s sudden outburst before the Fal Bolg. He snatched his arm from the weeping Titania who fell to her knees before him. He knelt down and whispered in her pointed little ear harshly, “Consider my decision as a punishment to both you and your sister Morrigan for your poor attitudes on the boat here! Your sister will have to wait to greet the Unicorn, but you will not.”, he said hissing at her. Titania’s aura suddenly glowed brightly upon hearing she was to meet the fabled unicorn, but as Dagda spoke on her golden light faded again to a dim sparkle with her frown.

“For you though.” Dagda smiled at his daughter showing his gleaming and sharp teeth, “You will not get to see the Sepulcher of Akash until the morrow when the Court reconvenes at the rising of the sun! Your sister will attend me there without you until we meet again at Achad Alba to demonstrate your Ascension to your grandmothers. That is your burden for striking my harp!” Dagda said meanly looking at Titania still on the ground, “Now get off your feet and join Idunn’s host. Do not shame me further by staying in the grass.”, he said pulling Titania roughly to her feet.

Aedin, the son of Idunn, came and took the weeping Titania from her father. He knelt graciously to Dagda as he approached them. “I will guide your daughter safely to the apple grove of Achad Alba where the Unicorn graze upon arrival to the citadel, Sovereign.”

Aiden stood bowing before Dagda. His flowing golden hair waved light like amber wheat in an autumn breeze at his brow, and on the sides of his crown sprouted foal horns, like apple branches they blossomed in short spirals outward from his head. White apple blossoms grew at his long and pointed ears in neat bouquets of floral beauty, and he looked as glorious as the new dawn to Titania who had never before seen a creature so handsome as the fair Aiden standing in front of her.

Titania’s worries of Morrigan and her exclusion from seeing the Sepulcher of Akash disappeared at the sight of Aiden and his beauty.

Titania, seizing the opportunity and disregarding all the formalities of the court and her upbringing on Brasil, reached for his hand taking it into her own hands rashly without thinking. She gazed into his amber eyes with longing. "I will follow you anywhere," she declared to Aiden, her smile radiating like the dawn.

Dagda looked at his daughter appalled at her behavior. He looked also at Aiden with a withering look as he still held Titania’s hand in his own. Aiden blushed wildly as he removed his hand from Titania’s. He bowed lower to his knee before Dagda. “My apologies, my King! I did not mean to offend you! Please will you forgive my trespass?!”, Aiden said kneeling his handsome head, his rippling golden locks cascading over his strong shoulders. His well shaped and strong body lit with a golden sheen that glittered in the twilight’s setting sun making Titania gasp silently watching him bow before her father.

Titania’ watched Aiden grovelling before her father with pity, but also with an unexplained longing she had not known until that moment. “It wasn’t his fault, father! I took his hand!”, she said putting herself between Aiden and Dagda’s glaring at him. “You’ll not punish him for something I did? Will you?”, Titania said growing more concerned as her golden halo again dimmed at her father’s scowl.

Dagda growled loudly at Titania snatching her away from Aiden as he half yelled, “We aren’t even to the gates yet and you’re causing a scene! Damn your mother!”, he hissed, “Did she not teach you children any manners?!”

Idunn, seizing the opportunity, spoke out with her voice like singing birds, “My son would not dare offend you, my Lord. Your daughter tells it true! She took his hand as she says.”, Idunn said as she came to float in the grass beside her child, defending Aiden from Dagda’s glare.

Dagda's eyes locked onto the burning apple of the ancient sprite, its fiery red hue glowing in front of him. The peaceful chirping of birds in the forest came to an abrupt halt as Idunn scowled at Dagda, her son Aiden cowering behind her. "My King, will you forgive my son?" Idunn reminded him, her voice laced with anger like the buzzing of honeybees. "We have important matters to attend to. The Wyrd have summoned us to attend them, my King."

“Yes, of course!”, said Dagda understanding well Idunn’s veiled threat. Dagda looked to Aiden, “There is no offence boy! Get off your knees and quit causing scenes along with my daughter! She will teach you her terrible manners!”, Dagda stated as he billowed through the grass towards the palace. “Just be sure you know it isn’t to happen again, boy!”, Dagda shouted at Aiden, but glared in Titania’s eyes as he said it. Aiden fell on his face and grovelled in the violet grass beside his beautiful mother saying nothing but bowing.

Dagda turned toward and began to walk the distance toward the citadel of the Wyrd behind him. He called over his shoulder as Idunn left her son and followed after Dagda, “Idunn make sure both my daughters get taught proper etiquette in your lessons with them! I feel their mother is lacking and they follow her example!”, Dagda complained loudly to the beautiful Idunn who floated along in the grass behind Dagda. She smiled at Dagda’s back and inwardly exalted to herself at her minor victory over him.

“Of course, anything you will, Radiance!”, she chirped smiling, as the silver bells on her braids chimed and her steps bloomed up even more silver apple blossoms with her every movement. “I will be sure your daughters have everything they want and require. I am, as always, your humble servant.”, she sang out in her melodic voice like larks singing. The gardens of Tir Na nÖg were illuminated by a warm glow, and Idunn basked in the small light of her victory over Dagda.

Dagda ignored Idunn’s warm glow and called out past her to Morrigan with Uaithne. “Follow us, Morrigan! We go another way!”, her father announced as he traipsed a path through the waving violet grass. Morrigan left her spot and ran past Titania with Uaithne tightly in her arms after Idunn and her father Dagda. She beamed with a smile at Titania as she looked passed her, but Titania did not look at Morrigan’s smug smile as Morrigan ran passed her.

Titania only now turned her golden eyes towards the fair Aiden who looked still confused and a little shaken, and something within Morrigan boiled at her sister not seeing her leaving with their father carrying his harp. She glowered as she sprinted forward after Dagda instead of beaming as her dark clouds moved across her twin moon eyes at her jealousy, clapping thunder within them.

The still confused Aiden stood golden with the purple grass lapping at his tall thighs. Titania’s smile grew wider and wider standing beside the gorgeous Aiden. A scent of honey and the aroma of apples came from Aiden and mesmerized Titania. She shimmered a radiant halo of dawn light around herself as her golden eyes were locked against Aiden’s own golden gaze. “You are like the forest at dawn. I want to shine upon you.”, Titania said dreamily as she watched him standing there as her father Dadga retreated away from view.

Titania covered her mouth suddenly with both her hands and she sparkled bashfully. She did not know why she had said that to Aiden. It had just slipped form her lips like all the silly things she felt compelled to say, and she blushed a glittering gold at Aiden’s confused stare looking back at her. “I.. I am sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”, she admitted out loud feeling even more embarrassed.

Aiden did not know what to say. He looked over his shoulder at the host of Fal Bolg that had come to attend Dagda. They watched the couple with annoyed and bored faces waiting for them to join them and return to the palace. The Fal Bolg servants had their duties and an evening feast to prepare and serve to all the arriving royals attending Court. The annoyed host of sprites and imps would carry them both away by force if Aiden did not return and join the Fal Bolg.

Aiden looked to Titania nervously and bowed graciously. She was beautiful to him, but she was the daughter of Dagda. Tuatha are untouchable to a Fal Bolg. Titania’s seizing of his hand was cause for Dagda to strike Aiden down and return him to a seed. Only with bathing in the water of Inis Fáil and a Tuatha’s mercy to provide it could any Fal Bolg return from that grim fate. Aiden shook at Titania’s flirtation and her beautiful eyes and said softly, “We must return to the palace, Princess.”, he said tersely breaking his gaze from hers. “I will show you the way.”, he beckoned with a gesture of his hand and guided Titania to join the waiting host.

In the palace, there was a small man with a gnome-like appearance who was known as Fidget by the Fal Bolg. He earned this nickname for his habit of tearing leaves from the foliage of the various gardens in Tir Na nÖg whenever he was upset, earning his name. He broke from the host and addressed Aiden scornfully, “I thought you were going to go to seed there for a moment, good Aiden!”, the gnome said smugly letting his grim smile widen on his face. His yellow teeth gleamed wet in the sun’s fading light.“Good thing Idunn was here, eh?”, he said wiping his brow in mock relief while Aiden glared down at the little groundskeeper.

The froggish Fidget, with his stubby legs that curled up beside him making him look hunched and miserable, cocked a smirk on his long thin lips. Figdet, turned his ugly and shiny wet black eyes, and averted his attention from Aiden and bowed down low to the beautiful Titania, “Welcome, princess, you are beautiful as the morning!”, he said licking his slimy lips crudely where Titania could not see for his bowing in front of her. “I hope your light shines on me too!”, he said winking up at her, “If you are anything like your mother Danu then I may have hope yet in feeling your loving glow upon me!”, he said with an oily grin plastered to his wide and wrinkled face.

“Shut your ugly mouth, imp!”, said Aiden kicking the little Fal Bolg aside hard with his foot. “You will watch your tongue in a Tuatha’s presence or lose it forever!”, said Aiden brimming with his own hot glow as Aiden, without thinking on it put himself defensively between Titania and the now rolling Fidget who disappeared under a high shrub from Aiden’s swift kick.

Aiden quickly turned and bowed to Titania, “I’m sorry, my lady! I do not know what came over him, but please do not let that little frog dull your lovely shine!”, Aiden insisted as he continued to guide Titania to join the remaining Fal Bolg. Aiden leaned over and whispered to Titania where the other Fal Bolg could not hear him say, “You should glow bright as we travel the woods. The Unicorn will marvel at your glow and join us, I am sure of it.”, he said smiling his handsome smile at Titania who radiated her light out at the sight of it.

Titania giggled and took her place next to the host with Aiden who shined beside her matching her golden hues. They spun around with the host in the pasture and started walking down the path that led through the ancient grove, separating the sea from the Sepulcher of Akash. The host attended them and followed behind them at a close distance holding the banners of Dagda’s house high above them as they proceeded. Titania marveled at the sun shining through the limbs of the trees. Thousands of colorful birds like tiny and fine gems flitted their small wings and hopped among the branches chirping out their sweet songs as the host proceeded through the twilit grove of towering elms.

The dark trunks of the trees swirled with silvery runic text that sprawled high up into every tree’s branches. The runes glowed and moved with the light beaming down through the high limbs above. Titania remarked, “I cannot understand it”, she said referring to the runes. “What does that all mean?”, she asked looking at the trees and pointing to the changing runes. “Can you read it?”, she asked Aiden politely.

“My mother can, but I am unable to read the ancient Fey.”, he said furling his even brow, It is forbidden to teach Fal Bolg our mother tongue of Fey.”, he admitted sadly averting his shining gold eyes to the mossy carpet of the forest floor beneath his feet. Aiden turned his head and looked over his shoulder at the other Fal Bolg who watched and listened to Aiden and Titania’s conversations with silent interest.

Aiden suddenly felt very uncomfortable talking to Titania about his culture and the runes on the trees he was not allowed to read, especially in front of a host of other Fal Bolg, so he changed the subject to one he felt more comfortable talking with Titania about. One he knew everything of because he’d learned the great secrets of the Unicorn from his mother Idunn.

“The Unicorn come to scratch themselves against these trees when they have an itch.”, he said smiling his golden smile at Titania who noticed nothing else but Aiden and his beauty as he said, “They charge the runes with their fur and the runes span down even to the deepest roots. The unicorn are a marvel, are they not?”, he said smiling awkwardly.

Aiden's words had a melting effect on Titania's heart and mind. She adored learning about the Unicorn from him, and she couldn't help but feel grateful that it was Aiden teaching her their ways. As they walked, Titania paid no attention to the host trailing behind them as she was completely engrossed in their conversation. She didn't give any importance to Aiden's change of subject or his habit of glancing over his shoulder when he thought she wasn't paying attention. As Dagda's daughter, what did she care about the lowly Fal Bolg soldiers attending her?

Titania sparkled her light and said, “Oh, they are!”, she said shining bright, “I love unicorns, but I have never even seen one! You cannot see them before you Ascend, and I have only just done so! My sister and I have come to prove we know Akash’s dance!”, she informed him with her smile beaming proudly from ear to ear at her passing her Ascension successfully.

“I glowed like the noon sun and my steps burned in the heavens when I Ascended for my mother Danu upon Brasil! My mother said I danced like a raging fire!”, she admitted to Aiden glowing proudly. She wanted very much for him to enjoy her presence. Titania suddenly thought of it and said excitedly to Aiden who was mesmerized and silent by Titania’s shine in his sparkling golden stare, “Do you love to dance? I cannot stop when I am alone! It would be nice to dance with you in the pastures.”, she said bashfully glittering and biting her lip waiting for Aiden’s response to her flirtation.

Aiden was caught again off guard by Titania’s sudden flirting with him. The flowers at his temples blushed a faint pink with his cheeks as well at Titania’s asking him to dance with her. He looked over his shoulder at the smirks and grins of the other Fal Bolg who spied behind them listening to the High King’s daughter flirt with a lowly Fal Bolg servant.

Aiden suddenly knew the whole of the palace would be talking during this evening’s feasting of Titania’s words and his blushing at them. “Mother is going to scold me for this. I know it!”, Aiden thought pitifully behind his kind smiling, “It’s bad enough this pretty dolt took my hand! Now she’s acting like a child and flirting with me so loudly! What will Dagda do when everyone is whispering about this?!”, thought Aiden, gulping down his fear of Dagda’s reprisal at Titania’s flirting with him like a heavy stone inside him. He couldn’t find the words to respond to her in his confusion and his worry, but luckily he didn’t need to.

As the group made their way through the aged grove of glowing birch and elm, the melodious call of the Unicorn echoed all around them. They had caught sight of Titania's joyful light and were now gathering to escort the traveling Fal Bolg back to the entrance of the Wyrd Mother’s golden palace.

The Unicorn, with fur as sparkling and clear as diamond, let out a mighty cry and encircled Titania. Their long horns, glistening in her magnificent radiance, shone like silver in the glow. Other unicorns raced ahead, jumping into the air to shake loose stardust from the ancient, luminous trees, creating a glittering rainfall that cascaded down upon the Fal Bolg. Titania's light had already danced wildly with joy for Aiden and now this new addition of a herd of unicorns made her gleam out even brighter than before. Her joy refracted through the raining stardust, casting vibrant rainbows throughout the dark forest. As the sun set behind them in the sky, Titania's light and the rainbow auroras it created remained as the only guiding light for the Fal Bolg on their journey back to the Wyrd's golden citadel.

The Unicorn followed along with the marching host of Fal Bolg and the shining princess, but they would not allow Titania to touch them when she tried to pet them. She reached out and tried when any prancing Unicorn would near her, but the unicorn repelled from her touch and danced their hooves away from her. “Why do they keep doing that?”, Titania complained to Aiden, frustrated when yet another Unicorn avoided her trying to pet its shining rainbow mane.

Aiden contained his joy, hiding his wide grin behind a firm hand. His palms were calloused and rough as he grazed his face with his palm, the skin worn and hardened like the rest of his strong body, evidence of his many years spent serving the Tuatha and capturing majestic unicorns for them to ride. As Titania approached the unicorn, her carefree glee was contagious and Aiden couldn't help but smile as he watched her try to pet the elusive creature as it pranced by. Lost in the moment, Aiden exclaimed, "You have to whistle at them. They adore the sound and will gallop alongside you as you do."

The Fal Bolg of the host hissed through their teeth at his telling Titania yet another secret of the unicorn. “Traitor! Abuser!”, they remarked at Aiden through their whispers.

Aiden’s smile faded and he felt a sense of shame pulling in his gut. He enjoyed Titania and loved seeing her innocence, but she was still Dagda the Betrayer’s daughter. Aiden suddenly felt strange that he had instructed Titania how to call the unicorn to her. It was always his mother Idunn who instructed the young Tuatha in their lessons on the unicorn. Never him. He only caught the unicorn for his mother. “She gives the unicorn to the Tuatha. I just catch them in the pastures. I betray no one!”, he thought to himself as his fists balled in a repressed anger. “I do as the ancient treaty demands and no more!”, Aiden hissed over his shoulder back to the mob behind him. Aiden’s ears grew hot in his embarrassment and his flowers grew pinker by the moment listening to the Fal Bolg’s quiet jeers.

Among the Fal Bolg, it is considered a disgrace for one of their kind to share the ancient secrets of the unicorn with anyone other than another Fal Bolg. Aiden felt a wash of shame come over him as he heard the disapproving whispers of his people behind him. He quickly turned away from Titania's radiant light and stared hard at the forest ground. He could not face her beauty nor could he face those who sneered from behind him. Aiden covered his ears as Titania whistled.

Titania sparkled and shone. She pursed her full lips together and blew through them a clear and pretty note that sailed like light along the breeze. She whistled a clear and lovely tune that rippled the rainbow auroras of the forest and the hovering clouds of stardust swirling in the limbs of the ancient glowing grove of trees.

The Unicorn bounded to her calling them and joined with her. Titania giggled and nuzzled the soft and dazzling fur of the unicorn who pranced beside her. She kissed their faces and petted their large noses softly. All while the Fal Bolg seethed behind Aiden who had caused this with his absentmindedness at instructing Titania on how to call the unicorn to her.

Aiden was growing increasingly worried as he watched the Fal Bolg host becoming more agitated while Titania played innocently with the unicorn. Aiden split his gaze quickly between Titania and the discontented Fal Bolg. Aiden was just about to tell her to stop touching the unicorn, when the unthinkable occurred. In Titania’s excitement, she tried to jump onto the unicorn's back. Aiden's eyes widened in shock and he cried out, "Princess, no! Stop!"

As she attempted to mount the unicorn, it suddenly reared up and took off into the air, the other unicorn riding alongside the host brayed out with the unicorn Titania had tried to mount in a startling rhythm. The creature's long silver horn glowed brightly with a blue light as it disappeared into the treetops. The other unicorns nearby also had glowing blue horns and they all quickly ran back into the depths of the forest until their shining horns were no longer visible in the forest’s thick canopy of darkness.

“Look what you have done, traitor!”, the Fal Bolg Fidget hissed up at Aiden from on top of a stone beyond Aiden’s ability to kick him. “She frightened them before the Rite of Calling! Now you’ve done it! Old Dagda will make you a seed for sure now! If Balor doesn’t break you in two first!”, the little gnome said laughing through his yellow teeth. He slapped his chunky thighs and let his belly jiggle as he guffawed over the trouble Aiden would be in when they reached the citadel. “It is his eldest daughter Macha’s Rite of Calling this night! He will be very cross if you deny his child a unicorn to complete the Rite!” The old gnome giggled and shook on his stone pointing at Aiden as other Fal Bolg joined with him and laughed at Aiden’s darkened expression mounted on his comely face.

As Titania listened to Fidget’s and the other Fal Bolg's words of accusation and mockery towards Aiden, she couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt wash over her for causing the unicorn to flee. She had not meant to scare the unicorn away from the host. She had only wished to ride on one as her mother had, and before Morrigan would be able to. She frowned looking at Aiden’s down turned head and longed for his beautiful golden smile to return to her.

Titania decided aloud before Aiden and the other Fal Bolg,“I will fetch them! I know how to call them to me now!”, she declared aloud proudly. “I can fetch them. I used to dance in the groves at night in Brasil with my sister Morrigan. I won’t get lost, I promise!”, Titania said sure of herself and smiling as she readied herself to leave after the fearful unicorn.

Aiden’s down turned head shot up as the flowers at the sides of his head and even his curling horns steamed a red glow as he spoke, “No! Thank you, but no!”, he said quickly and bluntly to Titania who lost her golden haloed smile. “You have done enough, your Radiance!”, he said flatly, “I will get the unicorn to return back to the citadel. The other Fal Bolg will see you back to your father!”, Aiden said gruffly as he turned quick on his heel. He spoke over his brawny shoulder at Titania who felt like crying now that she had upset the handsome Aiden. “Just go be a princess and leave the rest to us below you!”, he said angrily as he fled off into the darkness to find the missing unicorn that Titania had driven away with her excitement.

“Oh, he’s done it now! Balor will skin him this very night before the whole Sidhe, Idunn’s gifts be damned!”, laughed the old gnome Fidget from where he still stood on his squat little stone. He looked at Titania and smiled with all his teeth and dark squinted eyes, “It will be amusing to see what Balor will do if Macha does not ride this night under Inis Fáil’s shadow! Will it not, your Radiance!?”, he said with mock courtesy as he bowed low to Titania.

He looked at up Titania from his clumsy bow with his small and beady eyes full of sudden curiosity, “Have you met your uncle Balor, little princess?” Fidget bit his lip to constrain the sick laugh building in him. “You haven’t have you?!”, he said letting out several giggles and then bursting out looking at Titania’s concerned face. “He is a monster! A beast! That pretty sprite you’ve been fawning over will floss Balor’s teeth before dawn comes again!”, the horrible gnome said as he fell over off the rock and rolled on the ground laughing over Aiden’s fate at that hand of this mysterious Balor.

Titania pursed her lips in a rage at the words of the cruel gnome. She strode ahead and stepped on him in his laughing and made sure to jump up and own once at her passing over him. Fidget’s beady eyes expanded in his head and he blew out a small fart from between his flabby cheeks that wilted many silver flowers growing in a bundle along the moss where he had been stepped on.

Titania said aloud as she finished stepping on Fidget’s stomach, “I am going to help him then! Aiden won’t be punished for what I have done! Go on without me!”, said Titania bravely as she began to stride away from the glittering host to join Aiden in his search for the unicorn in the darkness.

Fidget rolled over onto his bruised stomach and croaked out, “You won’t be going anywhere! We Fal Bolg are going to see you delivered safely to the gates of the citadel! We won’t allow you to leave!", said Fidget as the host began to break apart and gather around Titania whose angry and righteous light began to dim to her dark worry as the host surrounded her and prevented her from entering the dark forest to pursue after Aiden.

Titania stared out at the dim, barely visible lights of the Fal Bolg soldiers. She knew that none of them had probably ever experienced the ethereal beauty of bathing in Inis Fáil's shimmering silver pools. Even in her current state of worry, Titania's bright luminescence outshone the dull surrounding Fal Bolg gathering around her, pinning her. She hadn't noticed how weak and insubstantial the Fal Bolg appeared when Aiden was around, but he was no longer by her side to distract her with his charming smile. Still, despite her worries, Titania's radiant glow managed to pierce through the ghostly forms of the Fal Bolg, causing them to dissipate like a fog under the intense rays of the midday sun.

Titania gazed at the shadowy figures disappearing in their ancient and dusty armor into her light and chuckled at her own anxiousness over the Fal Bolg encircling her like a cage. She couldn't help thinking about Aiden, with his charming golden face and how she longed to mend their blossoming, but now strained relationship. As she conjured images of kissing his bright smile, so similar to her own, Titania smiled at the thought of them together, shining like gold before the whole Sidhe and her father and mother. “We be beautiful together!”, she thought excitedly while she radiated so brilliantly that the entire forest was lit up in her beauty as she abandoned her host in search of Aiden and the mystical Unicorn.

As Titania sprinted away down into the ancient forest of trees after her recently beloved Aiden her light grew dimmer where she had abandoned the Fal Bolg to darkness without her. The Fal Bolg’s misty bodies returned with darkness and they churned like angry clouds as they spoke to one another of Titania’s abandoning them.

“We will be blamed for this! We were to return with her!,”, said one nervous Fal Bolg out loud into the dark.

“How will we find her?”, another said more angrily than the last Fal Bolg who had spoken. “She’s left us in the dark now! We must stay on the path Idunn left for us to reach the citadel now!”, he stated even more furiously.

Fidget laughed his froggish and mean laugh croaking out over them all, “We will not need to do anything! We will return to the citadel! Aiden has chased the unicorn away and stolen Titania from us!”, he chuckled out through his slimy lips, “He bathes in the light of Theia, and how were we to stop him from taking Titania from us?”, he declared to the whole host laughing out. “Aiden will take all the blame for us and more! We are innocent!”, he croaked to them all. “Dagda will turn that fool Aiden back into a seed this very night as I said!”, Fidget said happily and proudly showing every Fal Bolg his ugly teeth in his fat wide grin. “Let us return to the citadel!”, he screamed joyfully out over his host who now laughed his same cruel laugh at the idea of the traitor Idunn’s son being brought to seed by Dagda’s harp Uaithne.

The jubilant crowd of specters drifted through the forest, their ethereal forms gliding like mist over the dark green moss. Fidget and his ghostly horde continued onward laughing through the dark grove, making their way to the glowing citadel of the Wyrd beyond as they followed Idunn’s flowers. Their heavy mist churning devilishly as the Fal Bolg were eager to share their news of Aiden, Titania, and the unicorns fate when they arrived to the Wyrd’s golden gates.