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Everthe seas with the energy of our ga with our curiosity and soon ere ale to return to our sanctuary To sleep, we had to press together in a tangle of liht, even if I wasn’t sure who I was anymore] And yet there was such cos were always there, that I would never be alone

Until the day our cousin, Fire’s offspring, decided that he would like to play

Born of ae, Fire’s children were not curious or playful or kind But they were strong And the one that came to us that day was the oldest, the erous brood At first it joined us in our gaed Untilpast me, unattached, and the ocean ran red with blood

I survived only because ofupon Fire’s child, they pulled him apart until even Fire itself couldn’t rekindle hi to my cold nest, I huddled in the darkness, alone

[So alone…]

There was a war, then, between my parents and Fire Air, as usual, remained neutral and I stayed hidden, at my parents’ behest The planet was nearly riven in two before Air interceded A truce was reed that he would make no s But he forced ree to the same

Which meant I would be alone, forever

That said, , and they did Creatures of less eneration, but still powerful Often too powerful I watched as scenarios sihter of ain, until only the ent survived

Ti over a fall, and eventually I noticedsince laid itself down to rest, tired of life and loss Soon Fire joined Air, its passion turned cold and pointless My parents held out longer, their love sustaining therieved the loss of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, but I lory of the world they had created Their bodies ed to form a planet very different froenerated so so beautiful I wept to see: life

The planet now teemed with life, life that I witnessed evolve from mere sparks to plants to anience in their eyes, and I watched them love, live, and lose, and I felt my own loneliness driven hoh, there was no place forme from Territory to Territory My size and power disrupted the planet, creating chaos

Tsunami, I was called Earthquake Volcano Charybdis Chaos Kali Ragnarok Apocalypse

[Never meant to hurt Just so alone…]

Wherever I went, Earth was shattered, or tidal waves rose froed As a creature of that first,too powerful

I did not belong anywhere, anymore

And so I, too, laid myself down to rest To sleep And as oblivion drifted overA hand, holding htly and I [Jane True! I re at h eyes red with sleep deprivation Tears streamed down his face and into his beard as he watched me as if afraid I’d disappear