The Light of Lightning Bugs

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. Maybe if you are big, like really big, like I'm talking like my dad big, or my mom big, or teacher, or even big like my big sister big, cause she's really big now, maybe you've become too big to see the dragons. I didn't always see them, until one evening, while playing in the yard after dinner, I saw them in the valley.

I ran into the house and grabbed my parents hands and yelled, "quick quick." I needed them to come with me really fast, like really really fast. This was important. I ran them outside and pointed into the valley and said, "look . . . there," and I looked up at them and tugged on them so excited, but they just kept saying, "what . . . what?" I kept pointing and jumping up and down and saying, "there . . . THERE . . . LOOK . . . DRAGONS!"

My dad was the first to say he didn't see them. Then my mom. They didn't believe me. They laughed and scrunched my head with their palms, which, ugggggh, I hate when they do that, and said they would be inside watching tv; well you won't ever see dragons from in there, you have to be out here! I could hear my dad say, "she has quite the imagination," but I didn't imagine them. I did see dragons. I do see dragons, and now dragons are all I see when I look into the Valley.

Maybe getting big means your forget how to see things that are small, because no one bigger than me sees them, not even my bigger sister. I asked her too. I asked her if she ever saw dragons in the valley. She just rolled her eyes and put her headphones back on. I'm sad she got too big to remember how to see things that are small, because when it comes to spotting dragons, first you have to look for things that are small.

Okay, I am going to tell you how to see dragons. First, this is very important. You have to. Well. No. You won't believe me unless I tell you a story first. Okay, I'm going to tell you a story first. Please listen. Are you listening? Okay, I want to make sure you are listening, because I have a story to tell you. Okay, right, story . . .

It all started that night when I was playing in the backyard after dinner, and this bug glowed in front of me. Some would call it a firefly, but I like to call these bugs lightning bugs, and when I held out my hands, it landed on them and glowed. It was obviously saying hello. It was really super cute. This bug hopped up and down in my hands a few times, its light glowing and not glowing. I understood he really wanted to make sure I was paying attention to him because he had a story for me, and I really really like a good story. He begun by telling me his name, which is Flicker.

Flicker told me ages and ages ago dragons flew in this very valley. Back then dragons were really big, like way way way waaaaaaay bigger than any person, or even bigger than my house! Because they were so big, they scared people when people began showing up. Some liked the dragons, but most were scared of them and some even wanted to hurt the dragons, but dragons are wise and kind and only wanted to help people.

The dragons decided they had to leave this world. They said this world now belonged to people, and there was no space for very very big dragons, so the dragons created a portal and swoop, through the portal they went. I dunno know where, but all left but one. Dragons are a great light to this world, and without them, the dragon that stayed, his name is Kintsugi, feared this world would get too dark, especially since people have so much trouble seeing the light that is already inside them.

Kintsugi flew way way way up high into the sky, alllllllllllll the way to the stars, and made an agreement with a star; her name is Sora Cara. The star shrunk herself and allowed herself to be swallowed by Kintsugi and brought back to earth, whose belly now glowed on and off. Together, they did a magical thing; boom, an explosion of light. After the explosion, little bugs who can fly with bellies that glowed were found in this world for the first time, filling all the dark places so people would never be left in the dark.

So that is the story and that is how to spot a dragon. First, you gotta spot a lightning bug, and if you spot a lightning bug, you are looking at a dragon. Once I thought there weren't always dragons in the valley. I was in danger of getting too big but luckily now I spot a valley full of them and it . . . is . . . AWESOME!

If you make a friend with a lightning bug, like Flicker and I are now friends, and kindly ask it to see Kintsugi, the lightning bugs just might arrange glowing at the same time to show you Kintsugi's original dragon form. Remember, even though lightning bugs are dragons, you still gotta be gentle with them. I mostly like when Flicker sits in my hand or hovers around me and tells me more stories.

Of course there are more stories. Flicker has told me of Kintsugi's battles against phantom monsters, and epic tales of Flicker's time with the Lanterns, the warrior sect of lightning bugs charged with keeping our world safe from scary things that like dark places. Okay, well since you've asked, and I like to tell Flicker's stories, I'll start with the one about how Flicker almost lost his light. All you have to do is keep listening . . .