A Bridge to the Gods

Every night at midnight, the Purple Clouds came out to dance with the Blushing sky. Oh! How wonderfully they cued their music to the heavenly, adorable and most graceful Waltzes, Cachuchas, Adanos and Carimbos, they did the Pop-Lock-and Drop, all the while doing the WITCHES REEL, Chachas, Flamencos, Rhumbas, Sambas, and Malaguenas. You should see them do the Lambada and the Hokey-Pokey all the way down to the adoring leaves upon the welcoming arms of the stately Oak and worshipping Weeping Willow trees. From the trees a Purple Rainbow Bridge is formed which reaches up to gates of Purple Palace Heaven. The clouds enveloped the entire world in complete purple splendor.

The people living on Purple Earth all came running out of their homes to welcome the clouds and sky. Beneath the giggling trees and moonlit spaces, they would dance and sing to their hearts delight. For every night, after all the dancing and frivolity were over, Goddess Octavia would choose two who were worthy from among them, to join her above in her lovely Purple Palace Heaven to become Watchers and Protectors 1st Class to different regions of the world.

The Goddess Octavia stood looking down at all this delightful spectacle enfolding in front of her. Octavia ruled the cloud sky universe, generously dispensing the appropriate amount of cloud and sky that was required to keep her mortal subjects comfortable and protected. She loved her job, she loved to watch them dance and sing far past midnight and into the early mornings. Then she made them sleep for half a day. Upon awaking, they each went to their chosen and assigned occupations, all arranged in complete sync to ensure the perfect continuation of the preordained and predestined plan.

Only, on this particular night, Purple year XVIII, Lunes MM at midnight, she sensed something amiss. She could not locate Cato Sharma, the beekeeper, or Fairy Izba of the Glee clan. These two had been chosen to join her this night. Everyone else were out enjoying the celebrations.

Cato could use his bees to eavesdrop and report back to him, and Izba had the Sixth sense. She could sense the future, but she could not interfere or change it. No doubt both had known that it was their turn to be chosen.

Meanwhile, Cato and Izba were hiding beneath the canopy of lovely cloaking Prinfenala bushes which led across the petal strewn Bridge to Love and Happiness. They had fallen in love and did not want to leave their homes. Everyone wanted to be chosen to live as immortals in the Purple above. But Izba wanted her purple comfortable existence just the way it was, and Cato wanted what the kind and caring Izba wanted. He loved her and would always be by her side, no matter what.

Octavia was about to dispense one of her protectors to go locate them, when there was a commotion.

For the first time in the history of purple clouds and sky dancing at midnight, the music stopped. All over purple existence there was quiet for the space of a full minute. What had happened, everyone asked.

Far away in the city of Illiac, a crime had been committed. While trying to get away, Cato and Izba had been found out by the mind reader Jabez, he tried to grab Cato. Cato pushed him, they then turned and ran without looking back. Had they looked, they would have seen Jabez bleeding on the ground. He had fallen and hit his head on a large stone. By the time someone found him, it had been too late to save him.

The first murder had been committed under Octavia's reign. The first time a chosen two had abandoned their duty was under Octavia's reign. She was not feeling particularly inclined towards clemency at this moment.

"Find them"! She roared at Fremon and Tapei, her two Lieutenants of the Lost Bureau.

"Find them and bring them to me now"!

Three bees came buzzing to Cato under the canopy. They relayed to him the most unfortunate news. Izba started crying, her fairy wings fluttered, and she promptly fainted.

The night was swiftly moving along, as if it somehow knew that something had upset the perfect balance of things yet to come.

To make matters worse, the entire world stopped breathing for an awed moment, when they beheld OCTAVIA, Goddess of Purple cloud and sky, slowly descending on purple clouds enveloping her person amidst comfy pillows of softness, with blushing sky by her side.

"What could have happened to make her come down among the mortals"? They all asked each other.

The fairies and witches found the couple hidden under the leaves and spirited them away to the tree of life.

They explained the situation, and asked if Life Tree could please restore life to the unfortunate Jabez.

"I will look into the life of Child Jabez, if he is found worthy then your wish may be granted. There is a stipulation, for no bad deed goes unpunished. The child that you are carrying must be sent to me on her fifth birthday, to be trained as a healer. You will not see her again for five years after that date"!

Cato and Ibez turned to look at each other in surprise. They had no idea that Ibez was with child. They were ecstatic for one minute, then the full realization of the situation dawned on them. Each couple was allowed only one child. In the event that anything unforeseen happened, they were allowed another if it were possible. If their one child were alive and well, they could not have another. Furthermore, they had not yet been joined, that in itself was a crime against Purple laws.

Tree of life heard their unspoken concerns, she knew their plight, she also knew that what happened had been an accident. Nevertheless, they had to adhere to the laws of Purpledom.

"Come Cato. Look at the base of the tree. Pick up the tiny orb and place it on Ibez's finger. Ibez, come child, you do the same". Tree shook her branches, and a scroll fell out.

"You may both use the pen attached to my lower branch to sign the purple agreement. You are now both joined. I shall speak to Octavia about your situation. Now return to Illiac. The fate of young Jabez will have been decided by then. Good luck on your journey".

They thanked the Tree, while the other Fairies and Witches cheered.

Protector Fremon meanwhile, had captured one of the bees and forced it to reveal where Cato and Ibez were. Disguised as a large white wolf he had raced to the scene, hidden himself behind a tree and observed all that had happened between the Life Tree and the young couple. He quickly summoned Tapei, and together they hatched a plan to trap and kidnap the entire party of fairies, witches and the couple.

The two had long wished for a break from the monotony of the midnight ritual. They wanted to go back home and be free of the rigid responsibility. If the mission failed, they would be punished by staying in Purpledom until it was finished, no matter how long it took. They would get their dream answered tonight.

It was almost daylight, that time between the end of night and the beginning of morn, one of the most beautiful times of existence.

Fremon opened a fake doorway to morning, and the entire party entered. He closed the door, and the group found themselves in a different reality. The two protectors smiled in satisfaction.

They were now free.

FOLLOW THE COUPLE ON A MOST TERRIFYING JOURNEY, WHERE REALITY IS WARPED AND TIME IS A MIRAGE.

WHEN NEXT WE MEET.........IN PURPLEDOM!