Midnight's Shadow and Skyeater are twins, you see.
Though their bond is formidable, they had not shared a naming dream.
What you read next is what Midnight's Shadow saw in his last moments of incubation, and while he cannot tell you
what Skyeater was seeing in those same moments, or why she was grinning,
she's never too far away from him, so why not ask her yourself?
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A dark night. No stars in the sky, as if they had been swallowed by the darkness up above. Even the Moon was hiding behind dismal-looking clouds that lingered, barely discernible from their backdrop.
A feeling of sadness equal to the dark encompassed my body, stilling my nervous twitches.
She fell still, and I knew something was wrong. Why was everything so dark?
The trees stood solemnly around the empty patch of ground where mud bubbled violently as if it were trying to throw itself to freedom. Glowing eyes peered into the emptiness trying to identify what was stirring in the middle. Shadows of tiny bodies that accompanied those glowing eyes darted between the trees. Over branches, from trunk to trunk, making the leaves rustle, softly they went.
What were the little black figures that danced in front of our eyes?
What were they doing? I wanted to reach out and touch one; find out what it was and why.
What were they doing? I wanted to reach out and touch one; find out what it was and why.
Such ease and grace that these shadows danced with. I felt jealousy rise up inside of me.
Jealousy that turned into painful longing of movement and freedom. I wanted to be out there with them,
almost more than I wanted, or needed, to be close to my brother.
Jealousy that turned into painful longing of movement and freedom. I wanted to be out there with them,
almost more than I wanted, or needed, to be close to my brother.
One second everything was normal: the figures were moving, the next something happened. All was still and unnaturally quiet. The tiny creatures had disappeared and there was no movement.
What happened? Where did they all go?
Something's wrong. I hear my brother's questions and cannot find answers either.
Panic starts to overtake my reasoning and my limbs begin to thrash.
Panic starts to overtake my reasoning and my limbs begin to thrash.
I feel my sister's panic and start kicking my own limbs madly, trying to escape, but to no avail.
I must get free, must free my sister, must find what has gone wrong.
I must get free, must free my sister, must find what has gone wrong.
A flash of color brightened the sky for a split second. A streak of gold plummeted towards the earth gaining speed as it fell, tearing the night sky apart in it's wake. And just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was engulfed into the darkness once more.
A few moments went by during which not a single living thing dared to breathe.
Just as everything seemed to relax after the frightful vision, a powerful gust of wind swept through the trees, making it hard for the animals to cling to anything.
Following quickly after the wind, tentacles of red and orange climbed and twined over the surrounding trunks.
A few moments went by during which not a single living thing dared to breathe.
Just as everything seemed to relax after the frightful vision, a powerful gust of wind swept through the trees, making it hard for the animals to cling to anything.
Following quickly after the wind, tentacles of red and orange climbed and twined over the surrounding trunks.
Fire! There's fire everywhere! All around us!
When I hear that word I tear my eyes away from the mesmerizing flames.
She's right. How could this have happened? Where did it all come from?
She's right. How could this have happened? Where did it all come from?
The devastating fire raged all around the clearing for what seemed like several minutes before it had consumed the entire forest for as far as the eye could see. It seemed like that night would go on forever, but of course, everything must come to an end.
The Moon decided that enough was enough, and called to the Wind as she slid out from behind the clouds. He obliged and swept across the forest, putting out the fire with one swift sweep of his arms. The fire was no more.
For the first time that night, the Moon shone brightly down upon the earth, and all that could be seen in the presence of Midnight's Shadow was the slowly waking Skyeater stretching and grinning madly towards the sky, among the ashes of the once-great forest.
The Moon decided that enough was enough, and called to the Wind as she slid out from behind the clouds. He obliged and swept across the forest, putting out the fire with one swift sweep of his arms. The fire was no more.
For the first time that night, the Moon shone brightly down upon the earth, and all that could be seen in the presence of Midnight's Shadow was the slowly waking Skyeater stretching and grinning madly towards the sky, among the ashes of the once-great forest.
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This night could only be known by one name, When The Moon Saved Two.
And though Midnight's Shadow may be the only Kimeti to ever tell this story, he believes it really happened.
He believes that what he saw was what was going on around him and his twin in the moments before their hatching.
These could be the ramblings of a crazy buck, but who was there to tell the truth from a lie?
Did Skyeater really see what Midnight's Shadow did? Did the moon really save them?
Was any of it real? Only the Moon really knows...
This night could only be known by one name, When The Moon Saved Two.
And though Midnight's Shadow may be the only Kimeti to ever tell this story, he believes it really happened.
He believes that what he saw was what was going on around him and his twin in the moments before their hatching.
These could be the ramblings of a crazy buck, but who was there to tell the truth from a lie?
Did Skyeater really see what Midnight's Shadow did? Did the moon really save them?
Was any of it real? Only the Moon really knows...
