Child of Iridescence

The Mystical Sapphire Forest exists in an enchanted, tranquil and scenic landscape of indescribable beauty. It lies tucked away in a long secluded valley and is colorfully bounded by gently sloped concave sides. This idyllic Goidelic 'gleann' is mystic and rich in Irish and Scottish Gaelic charm. Steep hills stand guard over this hidden nell in majestic ethereal beauty and the inhabitants are lovingly shrouded in bright mysterious incandescent, radiant light.

The forest is wondrous and visually stunning during the daytime. Fairy-like butterflies reside happily betwixt the flowers, petals and floral blooms. Colorful birds make their homes high atop tree branches, singing sweet melodies, as tiny animals scamper amongst the foliage and underbrush. Watching warily, the young deer saw larger animals sauntering lazily here and there in the sunlight. The trees whispered in that mysterious language only understood by branches, limbs and leaves, as the wind whistled her heady tunes to the gods of the air, sea and sky.

Whenever the rains came, the forest sang a homage to the life-giving merging of the sun, air and water which gives them eternal life. Each voice had a special message, each prayer a unique blessing, as the forest and time spoke of the ways of the ancient ones who had gone before. Here, babbling brooks, ponds and rivers overflowed with pure sparkling waters ready to refresh the souls of the woodland dwelling peaceful inhabitants.

But it was when night descended, and a hushed calm could be felt by the dwellers of this wooded wonder, that it all came alive. For the beauty and iridescence of the magical hidden wonderland could be seen and felt, as the moon flooded the forest with an illuminating and resplendent glow of sheer magnificence. Fireflies danced and the fae'ries granted wishes.

~~~~~~The baby deer sat cumbrously perched by the side of the clear blue waters of the pond. She stared adoringly down at the calming reflected vision of her beautiful mother standing on the opposite side, ears pricked up, listening for the slightest sounds of danger.

Yet, rarely had there ever been any disturbance in the magical harmony and quiet peace of this naturally dazzling and mellifluent forest.

Moonglow watched tenderly and a bit sadly over her fawn as she bravely tried to manoeuvre her young body. Starfire had been born with both her hindlegs shorter than the forelegs, making it almost impossible to walk for long periods without becoming exhausted. The other fawns teased her and made her feel inadequate, but her mother loved her in a way that only a mother could understand.

"Did you dream again of the human child"? The mother asked, as her child sat there starry eyed and happy. Starfire had never complained about being different from the other fawns, she knew deep down that her dreams were guiding her on an unusual journey predestined by a divine fate.

"Yes, mother, I dream of her every night"! The fawn replied, listening keenly as the trees whispered to her. Only she could hear it, though Starfire did not understand why no one else could, the words were as clear as the moonlit sky. They spoke often of a destiny shared between her and another, soon to be revealed.

Ever since she could remember in her short life, her dreams had been the same. There was a world far away from this secluded glen, where humans lived, her mother had seen them many times, she had not yet done so. Yet, in her dreams a human child spoke of a merging of the spirits in a time when the moon and sun joined and waxed blood red.

"When the Moon passes between the sun and earth, and completely covers the Sun, and the Moon is near perigee, the point of the Moon's orbit which is closest to Earth, then the Moon is near apogee, and the Moon's antumbra falls on Earth. A selenelion or selenehelion, a horizontal eclipse will occur when both the Sun and an eclipsed Moon can be observed at the same time. Then shall the two meet and with blood joined to heart and soul, both shall become whole".

Neither Starfire nor Mahalia understood the meaning of the words.

~~~~~~Mahalia was dreaming of the forest again. She tossed and turned in her sleep, mumbling incoherently of moonglow, starfire and fireflies. Her sister Nadia frowned in half asleep worry as she pondered the meaning of the nightly dreams of her twin. What could it all mean, to have the recurring nightmare which perplexed her sister in her waking moments.

Nadia had been born perfect, her human form as unflawed and attractive as all babies should be. Yet glancing over at the other half of herself, she could not help feeling a bit sad and downhearted.

Mahalia had been born with her legs too short in proportion to her body size. She was unable to walk with normal strides and constantly needed help to move around. At eight years old she embraced her existence with a delight and sunny nature which baffled those around her. She exuded charm and kindness, never allowing anyone to pity her. Mahalia was at peace with herself. Only her sister knew of her dreams, of her certainty that one day she would meet Starfire and Moonglow and her life would be changed forever.

Manifestation of the dreams

The twins and Starfire had been born on the same night eight years ago, and under similar circumstances. That night there had also been a lunar eclipse. The entire Moon had passed through the umbra, making it a total eclipse. The Moon had then appeared reddish due to refracted sunlight.

But time passes as different phases in the Sapphire Forest. Starfire appeared much younger than Mahalia.

On their eight birthday

The Sun, Earth, and Moon aligned as the Moon passed into Earth’s shadow. Moon entered the shadow of Earth, opposite the Sun, and Earth’s shadow swept over the Moon’s surface. The eclipse of the Moon could be seen under similar conditions at all places on Earth where the Moon is above the horizon.

People were awed at the appearance of the blood red spectacle, never before had anyone seen that shade on an eclipse.

When the Moon entered Earth’s shadow, it underwent a fascinating transformation. Earth’s shadow had two parts:

~Umbra: The darkest part of the shadow where the Moon is completely obscured.

~Penumbra: A lighter, partial shadow that surrounds the umbra.

The Moon took on a reddish hue, as Earth’s atmosphere bent some sunlight toward the Moon, and other colors were absorbed. The Moon then appeared as a coppery/reddish-brown orb.

On this night, the dimming caused by the penumbra was subtle and rarely noticed. The border between the umbra and penumbra on the Moon appeared as part of a circle—the projection of Earth’s circumference. The ancient Greeks rejoiced this night, as the evidence they had provided was proven as evidence of Earth’s spherical shape.

The lunar eclipse was a captivating celestial event as Earth’s shadow swept over the Moon, turning it into a reddish marvel against the night sky. This was important in the manifestations which were being played out tonight.

As each child dreamed, their dreams were made into reality. Only now, tonight, their dreams took on an other-worldly elysian and exquisite quality. They both floated upon gossamer clouds of beauty and calming wonder. The clouds transported them up above the shining elegance of the magical forest, they embraced and swirled around in a dainty dance of cloud and sky. Then they were gently deposited to the earthly arms of trees and water as celestial songs were being sung by the dwellers of the glen.

Now they both were able to walk freely, their legs, bodies and minds were released from worry.

~~~~~~Nadia had been awakened by the moans and groans of her sister's dreams as usual. Tonight, as she opened her eyes to reach out to soothe her, Mahalia was no longer in bed. She had been floating high above it. The window had opened, as if by magic, and she continued floating out and into the sky. As Nadia ran to the window, she saw the clouds envelop her sister. A small cloud released itself and came to the stunned and frightened child.

"Do not worry, dear Nadia. Your sister will be safe and happy, she will be able to run wild with the wind. Mahalia was born for this purpose, and she must fulfill her destiny. Goodbye for now. You will see her again, many years from now". Nadia told no one of this, who would believe her anyway. She waited and believed in her twin's fate.

No one knew where Mahalia had gone. But many swore that by the glow of the moon, if you stood long and patiently enough at the edge of any forest, you could see her running with the deer at nights. Her antlers blended with the night and speed of the animals around her and were lovely to behold. Sometimes the deer would transform to human shape and also run with her human friend.

The forest could be heard whispering their names. Their destinies awaited.

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All art by NightCafe studios.