Honestly I don't know why I'm on such a "coming out" kick lately, but for all who read this and want to know why it was written (should be obvious from the story, but perhaps not) please check my profile. Please let me know what you think of the story. n_n
Shattered Illusions
Wandering through fallen empires I sought that which I could not know. Crumbled and overgrown walls are all that spoke of these once mighty knigdoms. Once grand and many splendored cities, their proud residents forgotten, lie now in ruins. Frantically I searched these weathered (ruins) for a sign of what I sought, but to no avail. So many times this thing eluded me. So many times I had to turn away with a heavy heart and hanging head. Over forgotten hills I traveled, always searching and never finding. My endless search went on until, one day, I came upon a vast and mighty fortress. So many ruins had I searched that to spy this structure standing and intact, as if it had only been finished yesterday, was quite a shock.
Not a single chip or flaw could be found in it's (mighty) walls. So terrible and imposing did this edifice seem as I stared in amazement, but no sound or challenge came from within. I began to circle it's walls attempting to find some entrance, but there were none to be found. Standing there, studying it's facade, I felt a stiff wind begin to blow. As the cold wind howled I peered up in time to see chips and later whole stones start to fly off the walls. Amazed I waited as the wind grew to such terrible ferocity that I expected to be blown away myself, but I perservered.
As quick as it had come the wind was gone. Picking myself up I was astonished to see that now only tumbled piles of stone remained of those walls that had only moments earlier seemed so powerful and imposing. No army could have hoped to fell so mighty a citadel, but I watched it fall under it's own weight.
Watching as the final pieces crashed to the ground I felt an overwhelming curiosity wash over me. I had to know what secret had been so important to build so strong a fortress. Excitement took me as I clambered over the nearest pile of rocks, and I thought that mayhaps it was the very thing I sought. Mile after mile I wandered through the fallen rings of stone seeking the center, but even in defeat this castle would not easily yeild it's secrets to me. Finally, after several days of ceaseless searching, I came upon what must have been the axis around which this place had been built.
I was amazed to see a lush garden within that last ring of stones, but I could never have anticipated that I would hear the faint sounds of sobbing coming from the far corner of that sylvan paradise. Scanning that wondrous haven I spied, sitting against a fallen wall, a young girl who was the source of the sobbing.
"Why," she asked of the wind, "Why? They told me that I would be safe in here."
"Who told you this?" I asked as I went to comfort her
Two large, emerald green, eyes looked up at me as locks of raven hair fell from her face. I gasped in amazement for though I had never laid eyes on her before I was certain that I knew her from somewhere.
"You've come back," she said, squealing in delight, "But they said that you would never return. Oh, I am so happy to see you again after all this time!"
"Who said this? When was I here?" I asked, desperately confused
"They are the ones who built the walls. I'm not sure who they were." came her quiet reply, "They took you away before they started building this place. They said that we shouldn't be together, that it would be improper."
"Why would it be improper? Who are you?"
"I am you." she said, pointing to her right
Following her finger I saw a mirror that I hadn't noticed before. Standing before the mirror I could feel as she took my hand, but neither of us appeared in it's smooth glass. Instead I saw a young lady of almost twenty-five years with raven black hair flowing to her mid back and the same, emerald eyes that I had first seen in the young girl staring back at me. Moving towards that mirror I noted that the figure within mimicked my every move. Looking down I noticed that not only was the little girl gone, but I truly was the woman I had seen in the mirror. Finally realising the truth that she and I were one person all along and that we had only been seperated by careful lies and clever deceits. One soul, torn in two and now made whole again. I rejoiced to know that, at last, the first part of my journey had come to an end. Even knowing that the real journey still had yet to begin I reveled to know that I had found what I sought through all those lonely years. I had come home to find who I should have been all along.
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