And it occurred to me that even those cherry blossom clouds had shadows. Through their near mystique I saw the sun's light skew in the stacked vapor that was eventually blocked by an omniscient loom. The loom reminded me of life. It reminded me that all of this talk of love and hope would come - but before it would come, Loorien would need to take it's turbulence out on the answers. Those answers needed explanation, and I guessed it was the investigation of light. Even the brightest of lights would be shortly followed by a dark blockage. Life needed explanation, otherwise the world would be a big bright smear, and everyone would be blind.

    My green eye stayed fixed on the violet stain under the cherry cloud. I wondered quietly amongst myself and the gods, feeling their presence. My thoughts turned again to Aylin, the moonchild, who felt ever compelled to settle under the limestone stars. She had her heart floating in the hopes of the Moon Goddess, effortlessly dancing under her constellations in the swirling black tides. But I did not feel the presence of only one god. I felt them all. I believed in all of their voices and their divine magic, so much more than in Aylin's fairytale. I knew that one day one of them would introduce themselves to our generation. My little heart was quickly beating to the drum of that hope.

   My seeing eye adjusted to a new thing on the horizon, squinting hard against the golden, cherry wind. She was a silhouette to the sun and she danced ever forward holding beauty and unbound reverie in her posture. The thick locks of mane seemed to dance in the sky like silken nomads cheering for their own gods' arrival. She was one of the prettiest things I'd ever seen. So mysterious and magical. The sun danced off her dark coat and fell into my eye which traveled up to her glinting, twisted horn of obsidian. I paused as she smiled and looked at my feet, unsure of how to approach. I wondered to myself if she were a god. Her voice echoed through my ears and as she sang out her hello, I glanced at a mouth replaced with a brilliant smile.

   I quivered shyly, and pawed my unmarked leg. "Hi."

[ I apologize for the terrible wait. I should be back on my schedule now. ]