[ Post a Response | Prayer ]
Posted by Megumi on 9/25/2008, 7:55 pm
161.38.223.226
The Sacred Grounds. It was a place Megumi was certain she had been before, but for the life of her, she could not remember. She traveled there now, though her paws moved of their own volition. Time had been kind to the she-wolf, and though there were tell-tale signs of her age and the trials she had overcome, she still maintained the faintest hint of elegance and naivety that had defined her life.
Once, she had been a most beloved child. Her parents had doted upon her, cherishing their little blessing like no one else could. She had been perfect in their eyes, bearing the promise of a future and the proof of their love for each other. Now, they were gone, her father long since parted and mother more absent than joy from her life.
Once, she had been a queen. Consort to the famed Tazendre of Limited Fate, the whole of the mountain had been at her paws. Her every whim was accomplished within moments, and her family carried a proud lineage that was more feared, more powerful than any that had come before. Now, her children had abandoned her, while her master tossed her away like a toy he had grown tired of.
Once, she had been loved. She had been seen as more than just a pretty little tool, she had been treated as a creature with her own unique identity. She had bowed to temptation and permitted herself the luxury of hope in the face of despair. Now, she was alone, hating herself more and more with each passing moon, aching for a reason to continue making the long, solitary trek across the mountain.
Once, she had been insane. The darkness that had crept into her mind as depression was perverted into something even more despicable, more indomitable. She had become weak and faithless, devastated by a world that had once promised her everything, only to snatch it away when she turned her head for but a moment. Now, the clouds had retreated, giving her a brief reprieve to observe the hand that Fate had dealt her. Now, she could see all that she had lost, all that she had forsaken, and she could do naught but long for a new sense of purpose, a new hope.
The weariness the wolfess felt in her body went beyond the pain of exhausted muscles, beyond the fatigue of a heavy heart. But she had come here for a purpose. She had come here to renew herself, if only for a moment. Perhaps the end of her life was impending, though it would be a sad thing to see a female of only five years pass away completely. For all its brevity, her life had been lived. The heartache of the past could never be repaired, and nor could it be forgotten. It could only be ignored, pushed to the side for a little longer so that she might exist independently of its pressure.
Megumi. The name meant “blessing” in a foreign tongue. How could one with such promise have turned out so wrong? How could one whose only faults were innocence and trust be so tormented by the world? Maybe the “how” of her life was no longer important. All that mattered now to the she-wolf was the “when.”
Tired beyond all measure, Megumi laid down upon a mound of soft earth. No grass grew near her, no bushes and no trees. She lay upon the most ancient ground, feeling the heartbeat of the world as it continued to thrive around her. Things lived, and they passed away, returning to the land that had birthed them. Perhaps, she might yet get that second chance she so hoped for. Perhaps, she would return to the dirt and the stones and the moss and emerge as something new.
“I should like to become a flower,” she whispered pleadingly. “Flowers cannot be hurt. Even if they are ripped from the soil, they will sprout roots again and regrow. Even if they are trampled down, they lift their faces and spread new seed. Even if they are plucked, they are loved until they wither and disappear.”
Closing her moonshine eyes, Megumi sighed quietly. Somewhere, somehow, she knew someone would grant her wish. Now, she need only wait.
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