https://i.ibb.co/9ppWKgw/Lucy.jpg [https://i.ibb.co/9ppWKgw/Lucy.jpg]

“What kind of goddess am I, I wonder.” Sonia mused, stepping lightly through crisp, burnt twigs and leaves. The shade of black and gray went on for miles, the dense collection of gnarled black tree remains gave an ominous impression of grave warning. Evil had swept its way through here, and all who witnessed it must have fainted in pure terror.

Would Sonia run into the evil that did this while she was here? In the case that she did, she would not be swayed so easily as the scared mortal she used to be. After all, she was no longer human, and most of all, she refused to be intimidated by bullies of any form. The life of the scared human girl was far behind her, or so she felt at the moment. At first, she was worried about how she was supposed to fight evil and bring peace to Celestia, being the scared woman she was, but she is a GODDESS!!! After falling to the earth like a human-shaped meteor, she realized just how possible it was. She was curious to see what else she was capable of. The road ahead was unknown, but it didn’t have to be scary. At the moment, it was a wondrous road full of mystery.

For the last couple of hours, as the sun rose from its hiding place and warmed the cool early morning air, she had walked, skipped, hopped, and ran through the forest, smiling and giggling at her childish excitement.

Why was she so happy? Was it because of her divine health? Surviving the scary crash from the clouds left her feeling indestructible. Or perhaps it was her magical ability to travel to another world as a mysterious deity. And if she was indeed a deity, what kind was she? What kind of goddess did she want to be? The thought of it amused her. The possibilities seemed endless as they laid before her. What did she want to do? What path did she want to take? There was so much freedom, how could she not be excited?

But as endless as her choices were and thought-provoking her situation seemed to be, there was always only one desire she has ever had. And only one passion that has allowed her to cling to life amidst an arguably depressing existence . She longed to be a wife and mother. To love and be loved by people she can call hers.

“What kind of goddess would that make me?” She wondered. “Probably a boring one. Being a wife and mother doesn’t seem particularly heroic, does it? But I tell you what, if someone last week told me that I would have the power to magically travel between dimensions as an indestructible being, I probably would have given that person a disgusted look and said something like, 'grow up, buddy, this is the real world.'

Snap, crackle, crunch.

The sounds of the dead forest was all that could be heard for miles. There was no life anywhere. Where did all of the creatures go? Were they able to escape this disaster? Or did they all parish in the destruction? Her heart sank at the thought. This forest was massive. The amount of life that would’ve been lost in this disaster had to have been astronomical.

“This was the kind of evil I was meant to cleanse, wasn’t it?”

Sonia stopped for a moment and stared at the scene of death around her. Was she really able to stop an evil of this magnitude? She put her hands over her stomach as she started feeling sick with worry.

“Celeste, can you hear me? How am I able to stop something so powerful? Goddess or no, this kind of power is too much. What am I supposed to do? Where do I even start?”

Sonia’s plea received an answer almost immediately as a light wind tossed her pale white hair, gently bringing her back to reality.

She breathed.

“You’re right. I only just started. Even if my body is ready, my mind isn’t. I need to get to know my new form before I start worrying about things I’m not ready to tackle. I need to make contact with someone, and learn the history of this place. Surely someone must know of the Silver Queen, if that is who I am.”

Sonia stayed there for a long while and meditated in peaceful, rhythmical breathing. She had to remember that she was no longer made of mortal flesh, but of an immortal spirit. Shouldn’t she have the ability to reach out her heart to the world around her? Or at least, she felt as if she should be able to. There was not a single soul in sight, but maybe, just maybe, there would be a living, breathing creature somewhere within the black forest. Would she be able to sense their physical life? She took her time, reaching out her heart to the forest. If she could discover life within the forest, she felt that it would give her an immediate relief during her stay in this place.

She reached out, with all of her heart and listened to the forest, and desperately pleaded for there to be life.

"Please, is there anyone there that can answer me? anyone! Please answer me!"

Not a sound came that could be heard, except a gentle wind that reached her ears like a moan on the breeze.

"It's not fair," She said as she wept. "It's not fair!"

Her tears became black as they dropped upon the forest floor, mixing with the ashy soot and disappearing from sight as it seeped into the cursed soil.

The wind came again, moaning sadly in her ears in agreement as Sonia wept openly, mourning for the forest and the immense loss that it had endured.

"Please."

"Huh"? Sonia snapped her head around in surprise. "Who said that"?

It was so quiet that she wasn't even sure of what she heard, but she thought she heard a voice.

She listened again, waiting to see if she could hear it.

"Please, if you're there, please hear my prayer."

The wind wasn't wind at all, but a sad, pleading whisper. Sonia didn't hear it audibly, but she could feel the anguish carried by the wind. She reached out to the source with all her heart, and not even sure of how she knew where to go, began to run in the direction of the prayer.

Was it a person or a forest creature, she wasn't sure, but she longed to comfort the anguished thing. She stopped, concentrating again on the source of life, feeling it out with her own spirit.

"Are you really there? Are you real? Or are you just as fake as they say? Please! Please show me your presence!"

The pleading cry was painful in Sonia's heart as

she could feel the individual's spiritual pain. Sonia walked cautiously in the direction of the prayer. The closer she walked, the louder and more audible it became, until she could see the poor soul several paces ahead of her, kneeling against tree. It was a young, dark skinned girl with black bouncing curls tied back in a ponytail. She wore a strange metallic mask that covered her eyes.

Suddenly feeling anxious, Sonia stood there silently, watching the young girl as she prayed. Her sobs reverberated in her mask as she prayed to her god.

"The world is rampant with disdain as the faith of the people is crushed by fear. Nobody prays to their gods anymore. Their hearts have been broken by prayers unanswered amidst countless bloody wars. But I will not lose heart. My family has worshiped you faithfully for many generations, and I have heard so much of your good deeds, I beg you, my glorious goddess, for you to show us your wondrous power. Please save my people and show them your amazing love. For you are said to be an honorable goddess, full of a love that shines like a beacon of hope."

"Wow, I wonder what goddess she's praying to. She sounds awesome."

She shifted her weight from one foot to another as she stopped to catch her breath. She leaned against a tree as she knelt in black dirt in humble worship.

"They say that you're not real, but I know you're real. I feel it in my heart. My grandmother swears that you are, and she is the wisest person I know." She spat through harsh sobs. Her face, distorted in a sorrowful frown. "Please, answer me! Please! I beg you! Please!"

"Damn, this is hard to watch. This poor girl's faith is being seriously tested. Bloody wars, huh? That's tough. Am I even in Celestia? I thought Celestia was a world of gods, but this girl is clearly mortal. Didn't Gran say that every divine realm had its own mortal world? I wonder if I'm on the mortal counterpart of Celestia."

A twig snaps beneath Sonia's foot, revealing her presence. The chocolate skinned girl snapped her head up in response, gasping through her metallic mask.

"Who's there?" She squealed, falling over herself before scrambling back to her feet and holding onto the black tree for support.

"Nice going, Sonia. You're definitely not the goddess of silence."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I didn't mean to startle you. I've been walking through this damned forest for hours, I was just happy to hear another human voice. What's your name?" Sonia asked, trying to sound as sweet and comforting as she possibly could. The girl was clearly terrified.

"My name?" She asked, hesitantly.

"I need to be careful.” The girl thought to herself. “The others told me that this forest was full of deceptive monsters that prey on people's good nature. It could be a demon pretending to be human."

"You first! tell me who you are."

"Oh, I suppose that's fair. My name is Sonia.

"Sonia? She actually answered my question without hesitation."

The girl relaxed her shoulders.

Stolen story; please report.

"My name is Lucinda"

"Oh! I love it. It's a beautiful name! Do you mind if I call you Lucy?"

"My Mother used to call me that." The girl said, lowering herself into a seating position on the forest floor.

"Used to? I'm so sorry." Sonia said, lowering herself onto the ground several yards away, keeping a respectful distance so as not to scare the girl farther.

The young girl shook her head.

"Don't be. She chose her death. She died the way she wanted to. And though it is a sad thing, I'm proud of her."

"I don't suppose it has anything to do with the bloody war you mentioned, does it?"

"The nations are always in constant war with each other, as well as the divine world, or so they say. The way the teachings are told is that all of Celestia and the mortal nations have been sick with war for the last five hundred years, following a wedding between the king and his evil bride. It's also when the gods stopped answering their people's prayers.

"Oh yeah, she's definitely evil. You should see what she wears. It's ridiculous. You can hardly call it armor with how much skin she shows off."

"What? Are you saying you've seen her?" The young girl asked incredulously.

"Oh yes. She's a nasty one."

"You’ve seen her, and lived? Get out of here, you fibber. I'm not as gullible as you think.” Despite the pain in her voice, her laughter echoed through the morning air, a beautiful and delightful sound.

“I know full well the only way you could have seen her is if you somehow visited Celestia, where she rules."

"True"

"So the only way you could have seen her is if you're an immortal."

"Also true."

"Is this girl for real? she just implied that she was immortal."

They sat for a while in silence. facing each other from several yards apart. The wind howling an eerie moan between them.

"Maybe it's a good thing she can't see me. How would she react if she saw that I wasn't human?

"Can I ask you what that thing is you're wearing on your face? I can't imagine it being a fashion statement."

Lucinda sighed. "This year has been a hard one. They're all hard, honestly, but this one has been especially hard. We've had several months without rain, and our livestock are ill with a mysterious fever."

“Why am I telling her all this?”

"And the people needed someone to blame, didn't they?" Sonia said, having been the subject of bullying all her life."

The girl looked down at her lap, fidgeting with her dirty shawl.

"My family has always seen persecution, because of the goddess we worship. She is said to be the most powerful deity in Celestia, who fights for the weak, and shows mercy to the humble. Every month, the black knights pay a visit and demand payment. Usually, they take the first of our crops, or money from our merchants."

"But with times being as tough as they are, your people don't have the usual payment. I see the pattern. What did they do then?" Sonia asked.

Tears revealed themselves from behind the mask, which ran down and dripped from her pouty lips.

“They’ve been demanding possession of the children. Every few months, they come and take the one they see fit for the service of the evil queen.”

“That’s awful!”

“My family has been in the service of our goddess for countless generations. There are many stories of our family being involved in miraculous adventures and deeds that have always set us apart from other churches. Not because we are better, but because we care. We refuse to take part in politics or trivial, selfish matters. All gods have their purpose. We worship ours because of what she represents.”

“And what does she represent?”

“Familyhood, unity, love. She is our mother, and we are her children, she does not judge or find favoritism. She loves and helps all. Recently, I have done something reckless. And I’m not sure if it was right. But, I feel in my heart that it was something that I had to do. I love just as my goddess loves.”

“What did you do?” Sonia asked, comfortingly.

“I will not say. Please forgive me.”

“No worries, sweetie, please continue with your story.”

Lucinda halted her story for a moment to reclaim her composure, biting her lip in an attempt to hush her cries.

“The people of this nation have lost faith in their gods. They spit at the thought of them. And mine, above all. I don’t blame them, honestly. No one has come to our aid. Not one!”

Her hands grasped at the black tree once more and pulled herself up onto her feet.

“They found me in a state of prayer, and according to some, they say that I fell into a trance. They say that my eyes began to glow! They cried that I was possessed by a demon. So, as a response to my devotion, they paid a mage to seal my vision with a magical item. I cannot take it off. And to make matters worse, they drove me into this forest to die, as the demon that I am. Even though I prayed for the safety and wellbeing of my people. Their fear and grief has made them paranoid.”

Sonia remained silent. What could she say? Once again, the heavy-loaded task that was handed to her has begun to feel overwhelming with sorrow.

Celeste had told her that her world had forgotten how to love, and that with her light, she could give light back to the world. She was beginning to understand the daunting task ahead of her. But instead of wondering where to start, why not start with the one in front of her? Lucy was an amazing girl, and Sonia could feel both her love and sorrow radiating from her being. She wanted so much to comfort her and relieve her pain.

Sonia didn’t recall getting up from the ground in which she sat, nor could she recall walking or running to Lucy’s side. All she knew was that in the blink of an eye, she had reached out to grasp the poor girl by the hand and held it in hers. The warm connection brought a comforting smile to Lucy’s partly obscured face.

“Thank you, Lucy, for sharing your story and feelings with me. I know it wasn’t easy. For all you knew, I could have been a demon or a cunning monster. But you found trust in me. Please allow me to guide you back home. Assuming you have a home to go back to.”

“Yes, thank you! I do have a home. My grandmother is sick. I am eager to be by her side.”

“Then,” Sonia started, pulling her along. “Let us be on our way. I believe the nearest town is this way.”

The two girls walked hand in hand, talking quietly in relaxed voices. They talked about many things along the way, like, what their favorite things to do on a beautiful day. Lucinda, as it turned out, was a musician, who played something that sounded much like a harp. Sonia, on the other hand, enjoyed sitting next to an open window with a lovely book and a hot cup of coffee.

“I love reading.” Lucinda said, tilting her head toward Sonia in couriocity. Lucinda knew that they had started their walk at least two hours ago, but despite the long trek, she didn’t feel the least bit tired, it was as if the stranger’s hold on her had been giving her strength. There was a strange warming current that ran from the woman’s hand, throughout Lucinda’s body. It could just be her imagination. She had suffered so much lately, and the brief comfort Sonia gave her was a blessing from the goddess, she was sure. Her people feared her and her goddess. They feared love.

“That’s right. I’m not the only one suffering. We all have suffered, how can I be mad at them?” I wish my goddess would have mercy on them and show them the hope I know only she can.”

Lucinda gripped Sonia’s hand tighter as she guided the two of them through the dead forest.

“How are you doing, Lucy? Are you okay? Do you need to rest?”

“She’s so kind.”

“I’m alright, we can keep going, thank you.”

“I think we’re almost there, there’s a sign up ahead.” Sonia said, picking up a quicker pace toward the wooden structure.

They broke through into a clearing and onto a rocky road. There was a sign with two arrows that pointed in opposite directions. One said “Brighton” and the other she couldn’t pronounce.

“Brighton. Does that sound familiar, Lucy?”

“Yes it does, I’ve been there many times. However, I don’t live there, I live opposite of Brighton, called Maheirron”

“What? How did you say that? Ma hay ron?”

Lucinda laughed.

Almost. The proper name is Chlarhta-Maheirron. Nobody really calls it that anymore. Apparently, it means Throne of Light in the old language. But most people call it the Sunny City.”

“Interesting. The Sunny City and Brighton. I’m seeing a theme here.”

“That’s right, most of this continent was once wholly devoted to the goddess of light. Before the endless war, of course. Now, people curse the gods, and choose to reject anything that resembles or represents them. Sunny City sounds less religious and more natural. Anti religious individuals have already started debating whether the proper title was ever meant to have its roots in religion at all. Stating that the Sunny City is simply implying the city’s sunny disposition.”

“Really? That’s interesting.”

Lucy smiled apologetically and tugged at Sonia’s hand.

“Look at me, rambling on about boring things. Come Sonia. Which is the way to Maheirron?”

Sonia suddenly realized that being seen in public probably wasn’t a good idea. She started panicking a little.

“Umm, about that, I don’t think it would be a good idea to show myself in public. It’s kind of hard for me to explain. You see, my face would most likely make people angry, judging by what I’ve learned of your people.”

“Oh, are you sick with the plague? You poor dear! Here, take my shawl and cover your face. We’ll go to my place. You’ll be safe there, I promise.”

Lucinda unwrapped her dirty green shawl and flung it over Sonia’s head, covering her face and shoulders. It was a perfect length.

“Wow, thank you!”

“You’re very welcome, friend.”

With one hand on the shawl and the other clasped in Lucy’s, they ran together down the cobbled road. Lucy, who had been blind for the last couple days, ran without fear together with her new friend, whom she trusted unconditionally. Maybe she was crazy, but she was done with being afraid, so she chose to live in a way that pleased her goddess. She chose to love and trust.

Sonia was a gift, she was sure of it. A gift from her goddess and an answer to her prayer.

————————————

The great beast soared gracefully through a slipstream high above the mortal world. Mighty and majestic. Her pale wings of ivory white, glided effortlessly through the clouds.

Dragons were the kind of beasts that were sensitive to divine magic, which they were able to sense from miles away. Breshka, however, had sensed a flicker of magic from clear across the continent. What magic could be so powerful as to be felt from such a distance? Magic in which she felt she recognized. She doubted her senses, but couldn’t ignore the nagging tug at her heart. Was it her master? Was she truly back? It had been long since she laid eyes on the Silver Queen. Her return would be a sign of remarkable changes to come.

She beat her wings hard, pushing her faster through the slipstream, sailing impossibly fast through the sky, until she finally broke through the stream, throwing her wings out, halting in mid flight. Spotting her destination below, she tucked her wings in and dove toward the earth.

Breshka saw it even before she descended, and couldn’t believe her sharp yellow eyes.

The world of mortals came rushing toward her and just before reaching the ground, she unfurled her wings, sending loose trees, sticks, and rocks flying as she landed, her ivory talons sinking into the cursed soil of the Black Forest.

The Black Forest. It had been cursed long ago. For several centuries, it had been a symbol of the evil queen’s triumphant rein. It was a day of sorrow for all, even for dragons.

Since the start of the mortal’s endless war, it was said that nothing would grow here. It was a mocking sign of death and oppression, however, the ground around her was no longer black. The small crater where Sonia once laid was overflowing with fresh, new life. Vibrant green and yellow flowery vines wound its way up the nearby tree that Sonia had leaned against after her hurtling descent.

The evil queen’s magic was powerful indeed, and was not something that should’ve faded over time. No entity that would be strong enough to break it. No one, except the legendary Silver Queen.

Breshka lowered her head toward the lush green crater and inhaled its magic residue. If it was truly her, she would know.

The great dragon of ivory white, majestic and radiant, swung her head high toward the sky and cried. A powerful roar that pierced the silence of the dead forest and beyond.

Her queen had returned.