Memories
Just something of a tribute to my lost friend...we started working together on the series they were writing over at http://dracon.sofurry.com/ and they vanished, so I can only assume the worst. Hopefully I can stop being a lazy dragon and use the logs we have to write up what we worked on together...for now, this is just something to say goodbye.
The place was nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It existed like a marker in a book, nestled between the pages of reality. It was empty, full of nothing because nothing had existed here before...at least until now.
A strange waver seemed to form in the void and reality grew around it; land forming in the nothingness and grass simply springing up from the new dirt. A stone wall only some four feet tall pushed out of the ground, marking off an area some hundred yards square; beyond which the nothingness of this strange place started again. A hill formed then and at the top of it, in less time than it takes to tell, a giant oak tree sprouted that looked to be hundreds of years old. It all grew up and formed in the time it took that waver to resolve into a hole in the air and a figure to step through into this new place.
She, for it was certainly female judging by the curves under midnight-blue robes, stepped through that hole and trotted up the hill towards the tree. The creature looked much like a dragon might if it was standing on its hind legs and only about midway between five and six feet tall. Her body was covered in dark hide that seemed to shimmer in the light of the moon that had simple appeared in the sky above, filling the area with light. Once she reached the top of the hill she stopped to peer around with eyes that were solid red and glowed with an inner light.
After a moment she nodded, seeming satisfied and turned her attention to the base of the tree. A large blue fire sprang into being, flickering and filling the air with an unnatural chill; frost spreading across the ground from where it hovered. It seemed to fold in on itself and shrink down even as it seemed to grow thicker somehow until there was a flash of light and the fire was now a dark blue crystal that seemed to flicker with an inner glow. The resulting stone measured some three feet tall and four across. One four-fingered hand splayed across the surface and lettering began to etch itself into the crystal in what looked to be gold, reading simply, "Here lies Persephone. Warrior, Apprentice, Friend."
Once this was done she stood there silently for a moment before she began to sing in a soft voice that rang out clearly and echoed softly with sadness.
"If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the color of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are..."
She faltered for a moment there before she continued,
"On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are."
Once more she fell silent, staring at the monument to her fallen friend.
She whispered softly to this new, empty place, "It's not enough, but this place will never fade and never change so long as I still exist." Annoyance crept into her tone as she continued, "Hell, I'm pretty sure ye can't hear me, but someone once said this sort of thing was for the living. Not sure if it applies to me, but I promise to come back from time to time and think about ye...maybe ramble a little about how yer family is doing. Goodbye for now...maybe one day we'll meet again."
She stood there for a moment in silence before walking back down to the hole in reality that lead to this place; the shimmering rift closing behind her and leaving this odd, sad place behind as a reminder and a memorial.